18 May May 14, 2020 Ontario Government Detailed List of Stage 1 Openings Announcement

Dear Taekwondo Ontario Membership:

Taekwondo Ontario is committed to the health and safety of our members, coaches, officials, and stakeholders. As Premier Ford has mentioned since the beginning of this pandemic, all Ontarians are in this together and we encourage everyone to continue to play their respective roles in stopping the spread of COVID-19. As this pandemic has dragged on, we recognize that many of our members including our Club Owners, Coaches and Athletes have been severely impacted and are very eager to return to training and continuing with their livelihood.

On May 14th, Premier Ford announced that the Ontario Government has provided details regarding the first phase of re-opening of the province. As of Tuesday, May 19th, various sectors including sports where physical distancing measures can be practiced will be allowed to re-open. However, high contact sports where physical distancing cannot be practiced including martial arts was specifically prohibited. The press release can be be found here.

Subsequent to this press release, we have received many inquiries from our members requesting clarification as to whether Taekwondo Ontario member clubs can re-open if they are only engaged in non-contact activities while practicing physical distancing in accordance with guidelines issued by Public Health Ontario. As such, we have been actively in communication with the Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries (MHSTCI) awaiting further clarification pending the update to the emergency orders.

In the meantime, we wish to reassure the membership that Taekwondo Ontario has been advocating the concerns of our members to MHSTCI throughout this pandemic. We have been actively engaged in reviewing the framework and protocols required for sports, where physical distancing measures can be practiced, to re-open safely. We will be providing details on this framework to all members within the coming week. Until then, please take care and continue to follow all physical distancing practices recommended by your local health officials.

Sincerely,

Master In Kyung Kim
President
Taekwondo Ontario