On Friday December 17, the Province of BC announced new measures to curtail the spread of the new Omnicron variant of COVID-19. The measures take place at midnight on Sunday and last until January 31, 2022. To read the full details of the announcement, click here.There are some implications for sport although we do not yet have full clarification or details. Here is what we know at the moment:

• All sport tournaments for adults and youth are suspended until January 31, 2022.
• Tournament events generate the spread of COVID-19 when teams come together from different places for several days. The suspension of tournaments is to avoid situations whereby teams come together and then take back COVID-19 to their respective communities.
• Sport teams can continue to have games and to travel for games, these should just be on a 1v1 basis.

viaSport BC will be issuing further clarification over the next day or so. However, in the meantime, our interpretation for volleyball is as follows:

• No volleyball club or team should host or participate in a tournament between now and January 31, 2022.
• In-house volleyball programs, training, tryouts, and practices are permitted as these activities do not fall under the definition of “tournament” and typically involve individuals who come together for a short duration and on a local basis.
• Please follow all guidance set by your regional public health authority as there may be some local variations. 

We will issue new information as further clarification comes forward. We will also be assessing the impact on the upcoming club season and will make any appropriate adjustments to the schedule and arrangements in due course.