UPDATE April 28, 2020: Another week and another round of announcements regarding our situation on Covid-19. If you followed the governor’s announcement yesterday, you probably noticed that restrictions are being lifted on some businesses, with more planned soon.
One change you may not have noticed is regarding the restrictions on groups in outdoor activities, where no more than 4 people may participate. That means that our group rides, for the time being, remain in the same status and are still suspended.
STCC strongly encourages you to follow these new guidelines. If we all cooperate and do the right and smart thing to stop the spread of the horrendous virus, things will get to the point where we can resume most of our normal activities. We will continue to monitor the situation and update you as things evolve. Please stay safe and healthy!
The safety and continued good health of STCC participants and volunteers, and the cycling community as a whole, is your clubs primary concern. We have been monitoring the situation closely and feel it would be irresponsible to continue to hold these group gatherings during this health emergency. We do ride in extremely close proximity to one another and it is difficult if not impossible to maintain the distance recommended by public health officials.
States of Emergency & Disaster have been declared at the national, state and local levels. Many, if not most, major sports organizations have suspended seasons and cancelled events in order to help prevent the spread of this disease.
For many of us, our jobs have gone remote to reduce the risk of contact with possibly infected individuals. “Social Distancing” has not only become a new term for us, but is now a way of life, to stop or slow down the spread of this highly contagious disease.
Organizations supporting the start locations of our rides have already taken similar action. FC Dallas season has been suspended. Frisco ISD has extended the time off for its students. For this reason, we also expect that, if you do choose to ride, you do not use any of our approved start locations as we will be notifying them of our actions. This includes Frisco ISD (CTEC), Toyota Stadium, Sprouts/RaceTrac (Teel and Main), Celina Square, Preston Trail Farms and The Learning Experience Plano.
If you do continue to ride, please confine yourself to a bare minimum of friends, practice that Social Distancing along with the guidelines already posted and those published by public health officials. As an alternative, we will continue to offer group rides through our club Zwift accounts. Watch our Facebook page for those announcements. These are limited to members only.
We will be re-evaluating the situation on a weekly basis and will keep you informed. In the meantime, if you have specific concerns or questions, please email us at covid19@stcycling.com.
Reference
What is Social Distancing? The CDC defines social distancing as "remaining out of congregate settings, avoiding mass gatherings and maintaining distance (approximately 6 feet) from others when possible."
Local links (eg. Frisco town hall this Monday and various state of emergency announcements)
- FC Dallas
- State of Texas State of Disaster
- City of Dallas State of Disaster
- City of Frisco Coronavirus Information
- Frisco ISD
Precautions
In the meantime, here are just a few things you can do as a precaution to the spread of disease (any disease). Where indicated, some items are recommended by the CDC and others are specific to us in the cycling world.
- Stay at home if you begin to feel unwell, even with mild symptoms such as headache and slight runny nose, until you recover. (WHO)
- Bring a handkerchief or rag to carry on the ride. Kleenex, tissues and such don't do so well when mixed with sweat.
- Practice a no touch policy. Avoid shaking hands, unnecessary hugs and the like. We all love each other for sure, a little restraint.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth (WHO)
- Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue (CDC)
- On the ride, no snot rockets or spitting, or... drop off the very back of the group to perform this act.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. (CDC)
- Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects (handlebars, water bottles, gloves,etc) using a regular household detergent and water prior to disinfection. (CDC)
ZWIFT with STCC
As an alternative, we will continue to offer group rides through our club Zwift accounts. Follow our Facebook page for those announcements. Setup and participation requirements can be found [here]. These meetups are limited to members only.