KARTING AUSTRALIA CORONAVIRUS UPDATE - March 15

Please see below for important information from Karting Australia regarding the latest developments in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Circumstances continue to change daily and while we do not intend to bombard you with information, we will provide you with updated information related to karting as and when it is available and needed.

Our objectives are to ensure the health and safety of the Karting Australia Family while also putting things in place to, as best as we are able, ensure that the sport continues to roll along.

Since my email to you about COVID-19 last Friday and following the announcement of the decision made today by the National Cabinet, we have made several decisions that I want to tell you about.

Travel Register
To attend a Karting Australia event you are required to complete this form https://www.karting.net.au/karting-australia-travel-register-and-isolation-form

Travellers returning from any country outside Australia are now considered at risk of COVID-19.

The “Travel Register and Isolation Form” has now been completed and approved by our Chief Medical Officer. It is based on the current and expected best practice (as applied to health care professionals – i.e. the highest standard currently applicable in Australia) and that will now be implemented nationally from tonight.

The form is an on-line form that will is able to be completed here. It won’t take long to complete but it will allow us to identify persons with a higher risk of infection or who may be carrying the virus and who should not therefore be attending events or our clubs right now.

The form must be returned to Karting Australia at least three (3) days before the next time that you attend your club or race. FOR NEXT WEEKEND, THIS MEANS THAT IT MUST BE SUBMITTED BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT.

Australian Kart Championship – Round 2
Karting Australia advises members of the postponement of Round Two of the 2020 SP Tools Australian Kart Championship presented by Castrol EDGE.

Potentially an AKC event will exceed the threshold of 500 attendees in a static gathering in one place (although that number appears to be ‘mitigated’ if the gathering is spread over a large area or outdoors), it is with an abundance of caution that we make the call to postpone the event now.

Karting Australia’s number one priority is the health and safety of our drivers, officials, volunteers, families, industry members and supporters of karting.

As a result, Karting Australia will be postponing the April 17-19 event, scheduled to be hosted by the Eastern Lions Kart Club, until September 18-20 (the date that was previously allocated to the final round of the Championship.)

It is our intention is still to run a five Round Championship if we can, with the last round being hosted by Go-Kart Club of Victoria on November 27-29.

All competitors who have entered the event on a round only basis will be provided a refund for their round entry fee to the same credit card on which the original payment was made. Those who have entered for the entire Championship will have their entry fees transferred across to the new dates.

We are writing to as many of the accommodation venues in the area as possible explaining the reason for the cancellation of the event and asking them to not charge a cancellation fee but to shift the bookings to the re-scheduled event later in the year.

I know that this is inconvenient for everyone, but it is the responsible thing to do in the circumstances that confront us all now.

Rotax Pro Tour – Round 1
Over the past few days, Karting Australia has been in regular consultation with our Chief Medical Officer, Rotax Pro Tour Promoter – International Karting Distributors, Host Club Go-Kart Club of Victoria and Karting Victoria regarding the opening round of the 2020 Rotax Pro Tour that is scheduled for next weekend.

Currently, Australia does not have widespread community transmission of COVID-19. To help slow the spread, the Australian Government has advised, effective from Monday 16 March, organised, static non-essential gatherings should be limited to 500 people.

With 110 entries for the event, it is expected that the number of people in attendance will be less than the maximum number of people recommended by the Government to attend an event under the current climate. Also, it is not a “static gathering” event (That would occur at a stadium, a theatre, – events such as those where people are together in close proximity for a sustained period of time – Source Prime Minister Morrison’s Media Conference 15 March 2020.).

Unless something else changes and we are instructed otherwise by the government, the event will proceed as planned.

We have determined that a number of additional preventative measures must be put in place by IKD and the Go-Kart Club of Victoria to minimise the risk of attendees contracting the virus. These are the same measures that we will be instructing all Clubs to apply to every karting event under their control for the foreseeable future.

Pro Tour Competitors will be required to complete and submit a completed Travel Register and Isolation Form (available here) by no later than this Thursday otherwise they will not be able to compete until such time as the fully completed form is received.

All Competitors, Officials, family members and crew are advised that we do not want anyone who is unwell to attend the event. If you feel unwell – please stay away and if you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, see a doctor.

Junior Sprockets – Adelaide
Karting Australia’s Junior Sprockets program is currently scheduled to be held at South Australia’s Bolivar Raceway on Saturday March 21.

With the protective equipment used in the program being shared between participants, in the current environment, Karting Australia is left with no option but to postpone this event.

All registered participants will be contacted in the coming days and a refund provided and we will endeavour to reschedule the program later in the year.

All Other Karting Australia Events
Karting Australia will work with the individual State Associations over the coming days to discuss the upcoming events in their State to ensure the safety of Competitors, Officials and all other personnel attending karting events.

In the coming days, Karting Australia will provide all Clubs with further information and advice to assist in the protection of their members during this challenging time.

Karting Australia will continue to make informed decisions based on expert opinions recommendations and rulings including those of the Australian and State Chief Medical Officers who have been advising our governments and Karting Australia’s Chief Medical Officer.

COVID-19 Karting Australia Updates
We anticipate that over the coming weeks and months there will be a reasonably significant number of communiques from us to the Karting Australia Family.

Most, if not all of them will come via email. Please make sure that your email program is set so that our emails come into your inbox and not your junk mail. I said earlier that we will only send the important messages. Please, if you get a COVID-19 email from Karting Australia, take the time to read it as it will be important!

All of our COVID-19 emails will be stored on-line at https://www.karting.net.au/administration/covid-19-information until the crisis is over.

Lets All Do Our Part

We are currently facing an international health crisis and we require everyone to do their part and to not take unnecessary risks. If we all do our part, and don’t take any shortcuts, then the chances of our sport and indeed the whole community riding out this crisis ought to increase significantly.

Kelvin O’Reilly
Karting Australia – Chief Executive Officer