Marshall CC Policies on COVID-19

MCC
Tue 3/3/2020 3:28pm

To the Marshall Chess Club community:

The Board of Governors, along with all of you, have been tracking the COVID-19 coronavirus very closely, and believe that we need to implement some (hopefully temporary) changes in order to maintain the safest possible conditions at the Club with minimal interference with regular Club activities.

To begin with, after much consideration we are recommending a suspension of hand-shaking before and after matches. As an alternative, we recommend an elbow-bump or a conscientious nod or wave.

The following is a set of regulations that will stay in place until further notice (we are following standard CDC advice here):

1. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.

2. Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer (we will ensure that we have an ample supply of both at all times).

3. If you have a fever, please don't come to the Club. You must be fever-free for 48 hours before returning.

4. The Club will provide disinfectant wipes to clean boards and pieces. Please use them liberally and after every game (casual or otherwise). According to the CDC, you should wipe things down so that they stay wet for 3–5 minutes.

5. The Club will have ample supplies of Kleenex. COVID-19 is spread mostly by airborne droplets. Kleenex is preferable to sneezing on the board or even into your sleeve.

6. The staff will be vigilant about disinfecting the touch screens, but please refrain from unnecessary physical interfacing with the screens!

Finally, if you have been to any of the following countries designated as Level 1 or 2 by the CDC, you may not enter the Club until two weeks after returning to the U.S.; we will continue to follow CDC guidelines as more countries are added to the list:

a. China
b. Japan
c. Iran
d. Italy
e. South Korea.

Some additional resources:

US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Situation Summary
World Health Organization (WHO) Information about Coronavirus
NYC Department of Health Information About Coronavirus.

We sincerely hope that you understand the necessity of these measures, and trust that everyone’s vigilance and compliance will allow the Club to function normally.

On behalf of the Board of Governors,

Noah Chasin, MCC President