UPDATE from BBNZ - covid-19

UPDATE 7

With the current COVID-19 situation evolving, Basketball New Zealand is following the guidance from the Ministry of Health (MoH) and we will be making decisions with government advice at the forefront.

Protecting people’s health is our priority, while also operating within this situation as best we can. We will take actions to respond to the changing situation as expected by the government. For now, the government advice to New Zealanders is listed on the MoH COVID-19 webpage. Some of their key messages to New Zealanders is:

• Wash your hands
• If you don’t need to travel overseas, then don’t. Enjoy your own back yard for a time.
• If you’re sick, stay home
• If you sneeze, do it into your elbow
• Stop handshakes, hugs, and hongi
• Please be mindful of the older citizens in your life. Check in on them, but if you’re sick, keep your distance
• Anyone arriving from overseas must follow the self-isolation process.

BBNZ EVENTS AND GOVERNMENT ADVICE AROUND EVENTS:

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has made a statement this evening saying mass gatherings over 500 people should be cancelled. The Prime Minister added that, later in the week, further guidance will be issued for event organisers about how they can mitigate issues around gatherings, or if the event should be cancelled. We are awaiting that information. For now, the following is the status of our events that are coming up in the next four weeks.

3×3 SECONDARY SCHOOLS:

• School Sport New Zealand (SSNZ) has suspended all events on the SSNZ calendar (as of 8:30pm this evening), including the 3×3 Secondary Schools Championships.
• SSNZ will review this decision on Monday 6 April.
• We will continue to communicate with SSNZ and, at a  suitable time, discuss any possibilities of rescheduling this event in future.

3X3 QUEST TOUR FINAL IN CHRISTCHURCH:

• This event is currently planned for 28 March.
• This is a small event with no more than 32 New Zealand-based players expected.
• However we will make a decision about this event once we consider the event guidance to be issued by the Government.
• We will continue to monitor and take advice from MoH.

SAL’S NBL:

• The NBL is awaiting the release of further guidance around events from the Government.
• The League continues to be in constant contact with the teams. We will further discuss next steps for season 2020 once the Government’s guidance around events has been issued.
• Anyone arriving from overseas must follow the self-isolation process.
• The NBL will continue to make the health of our players, fans and the wider community the highest priority.
• The NBL is following advice from MoH
• We will continue to keep people updated here and in the NZNBL.basketball website

MESSAGE FOR ASSOCIATIONS:

• Please keep in touch with Basketball New Zealand before making decisions like cancelling or postponing events, or any major decisions you are considering around COVID-19 so that we can keep abreast of what’s happening nationally.
• Associations can contact Matthew Ruscoe (matthew@nz.basketball) if there are issues you wish to discuss.
• We await more information from the Government around events, which is expected later this week.

FIBA EVENTS

• All FIBA events have been suspended.
• FIBA says they will continue to monitor the situation on a daily basis and will evaluate the options for the continuation of the respective competitions when and if the situation allows for it.

MINISTRY OF HEALTH INFORMATION:

We are asking our community to make sure they are up to date with the Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 webpage, particularly the health advice for the general public section.