Aths getting set to go

ATHLETICS Bendigo is gearing up for its summer season, however there is still some confusion over vaccination requirements.

General manager Terry Hicks said that a Little Athletics Victoria policy requires all adults to be vaccinated, as they are required to volunteer throughout the season.

However, Athletics Victoria is yet to put forward a policy for competitors 11 years and older.

“We’re still waiting to hear from Athletics Victoria on what their position will be, even though the announcements on the weekend did say that community sport will be available to vaccinated or unvaccinated,” he said.

“Officials have to be vaccinated but competitors may not.”

The Department of Health guidelines state “patrons participating or facilitating community sport do not need to be fully vaccinated to access the facility.”

Patrons 16 and over not competing, such as officials and workers, must be fully vaccinated.

Mr Hicks said the government’s roadmap has, however, instilled some confidence in for the organisation to run a full uninterrupted season for its four competing clubs.

“It looks a lot more promising than last season given there’s not the risk of lockdowns that we had to go through last time.”

Runners have been able to access the facility to train, and Mr Hicks said interest in athletics during an Olympic year is often increased.

“There’s usually a bit of a surge for us, particularly Little Athletics, but unfortunately we couldn’t fully take advanatage of that because of the lockdowns and the late start.

“We had a lot of enquiry and interest and hopefully that hasn’t died out while we’ve been waiting to actually get out on the track.”