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Thread: 5A2 - DISCUSSION ITEMS - COVID and Chess

  1. #11
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    Excuse my ignorance, but has anyone in Canada run OTB without masks yet?!

    And second question, what's your feel for people's acceptance of masks still?
    (when I was in the U.S. in November, most accepted the rules to wear them)

    Thanks, Aris.

  2. #12
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    I really like the Ottawa event, there Halldor allowed players to be without masks while they are sitting and playing, but masks were mandatory while you are standing/walking/watching other games. Much better then just mandatory masks in the tournament hall.

    I played 4 tournaments in 2021 and masks requirements were completely different.

    World Open and Banff - masks were mandatory.
    Riga - masks were recommended. About 10% of players followed this recommendation.
    Ottawa - no masks while sitting and playing.

    I will be playing in Dallas with many other Canadians (Preotu, Rodrigue-Lemieux, Ouellet). The tournament starts in a few hours. Looks like no masks in hotel even for staff people.
    Last edited by Victor Plotkin; 02-17-2022 at 06:21 PM.

  3. #13
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    My personal opinion, not as a FIDE rep and CFC director, but as an active player. Mandatory masks in a tournament hall (including during the game) is a very strong factor against my participation in this event.

  4. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by Victor Plotkin View Post
    My personal opinion, not as a FIDE rep and CFC director, but as an active player. Mandatory masks in a tournament hall (including during the game) is a very strong factor against my participation in this event.
    Agreed with Victor - wearing masks should not be mandatory.
    Thanks,
    Michael Barron

  5. #15
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    BC makes their announcements on Tuesdays and this week's announcement said much the same on removing capacity limits.

    From the news conference it would seem that vaccine passports (aka "proof of vaccination") will still be required so presumably that means an extra person at the registration will be needed to check these.

    While masks are still required in BC at events such as ours I agree with Vlad that the standard cloth masks most of us have access to are largely 'virtue signalling' more than effective protection tools. That said they're the present requirement (at least in BC) so we must go along. (When I went for my booster they required me to remove my mask and take theirs (which would have delighted me had they been the top quality masks as opposed to what I actually got which was exactly the same kind you buy in the grocery store and pharmacies)

    Is any province requiring rapid tests for our type of event?

    (For the benefit of VMs reading this one of the primary reasons Vlad wanted this item on the agenda was to compare requirements from province to province and to circulate the terms under which 'face to face' tournaments can be resumed at the present time particularly with respect to major interprovincial events)

    In particular going forward I would like to see a TD discussion on "best practices" for tournaments.

  6. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Barron View Post
    Agreed with Victor - wearing masks should not be mandatory.
    Victor & Michael, thanks for your input. So any thoughts on either of these considerations:

    1) Might some players, especially older ones, NOT play OTB if there's NO masking rules?
    2) I expect provincial mask mandates to be lifted by Easter, but so far, there's no forecast.

    Again, thanks in advance, I really appreciate your input.

  7. #17
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    Masks are largely theater and are not effective according to the literature though people get upset if you say so out loud. I would probably play as long as N95 masks were not the requirement. I find cloth or paper masks tolerable though again they do not actually prevent transmission but people feel good about wearing them.

    Was at the funeral home tonight with lots of doctors and dentists. The weather was horrible so only family braved the elements. This meant that worries about covid spreading were largely moot as several people already had it a month ago.

  8. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Aris Marghetis View Post
    Victor & Michael, thanks for your input. So any thoughts on either of these considerations:

    1) Might some players, especially older ones, NOT play OTB if there's NO masking rules?
    2) I expect provincial mask mandates to be lifted by Easter, but so far, there's no forecast.

    Again, thanks in advance, I really appreciate your input.
    Aris, you just cant make everyone happy. Everyone has different opinion and there is little point to argue about it. Some players will not play with mandatory masks. Some players will play only with mandatory masks.

    BTW, how many older (60+) players played in Closed-2019? I mean, in a championship section?

    Again, I would like to see "Halldor rules" for many Canadian events now. And last time this tournament in Ottawa attracted 80 (!!) players.
    Last edited by Victor Plotkin; 02-18-2022 at 12:52 AM.

  9. #19
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    Seems the Ontario chief medical officer speculated about removing the mask mandate in the middle of March.
    .*-1

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Victor Plotkin View Post
    Aris, you just cant make everyone happy. Everyone has different opinion and there is little point to argue about it. Some players will not play with mandatory masks. Some players will play only with mandatory masks.

    BTW, how many older (60+) players played in Closed-2019? I mean, in a championship section?

    Again, I would like to see "Halldor rules" for many Canadian events now. And last time this tournament in Ottawa attracted 80 (!!) players.
    Yes, I do appreciate that we can't make everyone happy, so sometimes we try to somehow at least minimize the various "opposites of happy" lol. However, I REALLY appreciate all of the replies, we need to do what's right, but also this is going to be a "chesscation", with everyone thoroughly enjoying themselves!!

    Here's another angle: if you prefer that masks still be worn, does that position change if all Players and Arbiters are vaccinated, and any spectators masked?!

    Thanks again, Aris Marghetis.
    Last edited by Aris Marghetis; 02-18-2022 at 08:33 AM. Reason: adjusted last question

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