Hello MLTC Members,

 No doubt you have all heard the words “Coronavirus” and “Covid-19” more times than you could have ever imagined.  We apologize for adding yet one more reference, but we want to inform our membership about how your tennis club is responding to this situation.

We are carefully monitoring developments with regard to Covid-19, including guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Below we have listed some important information that are sourced from a number of government and health agencies as well as other concerned citizens in our community. All comments regarding the science of this virus are sourced from the CDC or highly respected government or independent health agencies.

Facts About the Coronavirus 

The coronavirus is primarily spread through respiratory droplets dispersed within the radius of six feet with coughing or sneezing. Given the potential threat to our community, here is some information about how the CDC is responding and what you can do to help minimize the spread of the virus. 

• Viruses and bacteria are mainly spread from person to person through droplets made when people cough, sneeze, or talk.
• A person might also get an infection by touching a surface or object that has a virus on it and then touching his or her own mouth, nose, or possibly eyes. That means you may be able to spread the flu to someone else before you know you are sick.  
• The most vulnerable population is the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions.
• The healthier your lifestyle is, the more resistant you will be to this virus.
• Children are the least vulnerable population.  They often don’t show symptoms and in 99% of all cases they recover.  This may be because their immune systems are still developing, although no one knows for sure at this time.
• Children can be infected by the corona virus and not show any symptoms, which means they can become carriers of the virus
• A small percentage of infections are caused by people testing positive who show no symptoms. This is because the transmittal of this disease is primarily the result of coughing and sneezing. 
• When our community is united in our desire and disciplined in our behavior, we can prevent the spread of this virus.   

What is the MLTC doing to create a Virus-Free Zone? 

If you have been at the club over the past week, then you have likely seen front desk staff as well as facilities management wiping down surfaces.  With the rapid rise in cases, we have decided to institute a multi-pronged approach to protect our members:

• Between the closing/opening of the club each day, we are sanitizing all contact surfaces with an EPA approved solution or a bleach mixture as described by the CDC: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/home/cleaning-disinfection.html
• During the day, we will continue to sanitize surfaces multiple times a day that have the potential of being touched such as tables, handrails, doorknobs, etc.
• Instructors will be wiping down the ball baskets after EVERY class.
• Players (particularly juniors) will be instructed to only tap racquets instead of shaking hands or having any other personal contact.

What can you do to help create a Virus-Free Zone?

Please use the following guidelines at home and at the club:

1. Have you traveled anywhere recently? If you travel or have traveled to high-risk areas recently please refrain from coming to the club for two weeks after you have returned. High-risks areas are currently defined as: China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao), South Korea, Singapore, Iran, Italy. Please stay tuned as this list may evolve.
2. What personal hygiene measures should you take?  As a reminder, please respect the basic hygienic measures recommended by the World Health Organization. You can follow these at home or at the club to help stop the spread of the virus. 

3. Please Adopt these Seven Anti-Virus Healthy Habits

   • Wash your hands frequently for 20 seconds.
   • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.
   • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your bent elbow when you cough or sneeze.
   • Stay at home if you have symptoms of a cough, fever, or shortness of breath.
   • Stay away from people who show symptoms of the above symptoms of a virus.
   • Adopt non-contact greetings eg. stop hand shaking; consider adopting the elbow-bump or a gentle foot five
   • When appropriate keep a social distance of three feet. 

What should I do if I think I could be infected?

If you believe you may have had close contact with someone who is confirmed to have the Coronavirus or influenza, you should: 

• Call your healthcare provider right away and be sure to tell your healthcare provider about your close contact with someone who is confirmed to have, or being evaluated for, CoVid-19. Your provider may tell you to self quarantine for 14 days.
• Your healthcare provider’s office will provide you proper guidance on where to seek care as test kits are being rolled out to providers and independent laboratories.
• Your provider will need to report and coordinate the test through the local/state health department to the patient. 
• And finally, we ask that you do not come to the MLTC until you have tested negative for the Coronavirus.

Recent Developments

We were recently informed that today, March 12^th, that the Westford Schools will be canceling school for tomorrow in an effort to clean the facilities.  Acton/Boxborough and Concord Schools will be closed for a week also beginning tomorrow until the 23rd.

We do plan on continuing to run classes utilizing the safety protocols outlined above, however if any parent or player would like to remove themselves or their child from a class or program may do so and receive a credit for the missed time.  We do ask that you provide us with at least 48 hours’ notice if this is the case. For tomorrow and Saturday’s classes, as much advance notice would be appreciated.

A Big Thanks!

We would like to take a moment to thank our friends at the Longfellow Clubs who we have been in a close dialogue with.  They have had to be concerned with much more than just tennis.  Their fast and thorough actions have assisted us in devising our own best practices to care for our members. 

If you should have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us with any concerns or questions.

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