Dear paddlers,
Greetings everyone from a beautiful summer’s day in New Zealand.
Registration Close Off
As many of you will know we have moved the Registration close off date on two occasions already as the world comes to grips with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The world is now opening up more and more, and people are traveling more freely on a global basis. We are seeing many dragon boat events taking place around the globe. We believe that by 2023 the world will have returned to some form of “normality”.
In order to give you more time to better understand what the world travel scenario might look like for you we have made the decision to extend the registration close off date by four months to the 30th June 2022. Final payment of fees to be paid by the 31st August 2022. This will give the Northern Hemisphere teams time to get out and train, to fundraise, and to ascertain final numbers. REGISTRATION CLOSES: 30th JUNE 2022
FINAL PAYMENT DUE: 31st AUGUST 2022
Vaccination Update
Some of you have asked about vaccination requirements to enter New Zealand. While the government has not yet mandated a strict vaccination entry policy, we believe that everyone coming into the country (without the need for quarantine/isolation) will have to be fully vaccinated and be able to prove this with either a vaccine certificate or a digital vaccine passport.
You will be aware that New Zealand has been a closed border country. Anyone returning to New Zealand had to go through managed isolation and quarantine for 7-14 days. However, as former Prime Minister John Key said it is time that we emerge from our “smug hermit kingdom”. The country is now doing this. We are quite certain that, anyone entering the country will have to be fully vaccinated or test negative prior to departure.
Many airlines have stipulated that all passengers must be vaccinated. This applies to all Qantas flights from Australia and in February 2022 Air New Zealand will apply the same rules.
So, whilst neither the Festival Committee nor the IBCPC can stipulate that you must be vaccinated, this criterion is now becoming more and more commonplace, particularly with the venues we will be using for the festival. Lake Karapiro is in the Mighty River Domain which is a local Waipa council owned venue and they have stipulated that you must be vaccinated to enter the venue. The Claudelands Event Centre where we will hold the Thursday evening “Meet and Greet” party is Hamilton City Council owned and is a “no vax, no entry” venue. We believe you can take it from that, that vaccinations will be essential for entry to many of the venues and it would be your safest option to be vaccinated to not be excluded from certain parts of the event.
Some of you have asked about the vaccination rates in New Zealand. As at today’s date over 90% of the eligible population has at least had their first if not their second vaccine and many are now also having their third booster shot. New Zealand was slow to move with vaccinations having initially had a target of “complete elimination”. However, that as everyone will know globally, is impossible to achieve, so vaccination is the goal.
The festival committee will be developing a vaccine policy in conjunction with the IBCPC Medical Advisory Panel (MAP).
The medical advisory panel of the International Breast Cancer Paddling Commission strongly encourages breast cancer survivor dragon boat teams to create their own individual vaccine policies. These policies should be in accordance with your local public health guidelines and any national dragon boat guidelines that may exist.
Any policy created should include clear expectations for individual members of a team both on and off the water and for both indoor and outdoor settings.
Factors to consider should include the following:
1. Attendance and contact tracing
2. Sanitation procedures
3. Masking
4. Social distancing
5. Vaccine requirements
We are all in this together. Stay strong and stay safe.
Take care everyone, stay safe and we are so excited to be working towards welcoming you in 2023.
Best wishes for a wonderful Christmas and the best of everything in 2022.
The 2023 Festival Organising committee and the IBCPC Steering Committee.
SOME THINGS TO THINK ABOUT AND DO IN NEW ZEALAND
