The good news is that lockdown finishes at one minute past midnight on Wednesday 2nd December 2020, and the Club reopens Wednesday morning. The bad news is that Suffolk has, rather unfairly, been placed in Tier 2 even although Covid infection rates in Mid Suffolk are far lower at 66.6 per 100,000 resident population than in nearly all of England, including the Isle of Wight whose rate is 106.7 per 100,000 but which is in Tier 1.

Important good news is that our lobbying has had some effect in that, unlike before lockdown, the rules about play in air domes and indoor tennis venues is more lenient. Whilst we failed to yet persuade the Government that an air dome is, by definition, much safer than a true indoor tennis venue:

1. In Tier 2 singles between players of different households is permitted, and singles and doubles are permitted outdoors;
2. In Tier 3, singles and doubles are permitted outdoors but indoor tennis is prohibited.

As it was before lockdown, the rule of six even outdoors still applies. This means that no player can play with more than five other people in one session. Two metre social distancing must be maintained. Please use the QR code to sign in on arrival, and do use the hand sanitiser.

There are 125 people in the coaching programme, many of whom are members. The benefit to members, to the Club from coaching revenue, and our duty of care to our Head Coach, mean that the rules on 1:1 coaching and group coaching are also important. Whilst the coaching of juniors, with maximum groups of 15, is permitted in the dome even in Tier 3, we are waiting for further guidance from the LTA as to whether any adult group coaching can take place in the dome. If it cannot, we will be restricted to group sessions (up to 6 per court) and only on the outdoor courts.

Club and League matches are permitted in Tier 2 on outdoor courts, and we are awaiting further guidance from the LTA as to whether any competitive play will be permitted in the dome. We believe that doubles play in the air dome is safe. Amazingly, steam and sauna rooms are open in Tier 2 in leisure venues, and group gym classes for more than 6 people are also permitted.

So, what does all this mean for us while we are in Tier 2? It means that:

1. It would be premature to take down the dome, as it would not be affordable to put it back up again later in the winter and we would have no courts at all on wet or frosty days, but this will be kept under review by the Committee.
2. To free up the outdoor courts for doubles play, the following activities should routinely take place in the dome unless there is an evidence-based reason not to do so:

• The singles Winter Box Ladder restarting on 3rd December 2020;
• Families from the same household who play together;
• Junior coaching;
• Adult 1:1 coaching;
• Adult coaching for members of the same household (if permitted when further LTA guidance is received).

Priority for booking outdoor courts will be for:

       3. Adult coaching not permitted in the dome;

       a) Mens Floodlit League matches on Wednesday evenings, although the only home match before Xmas will be played at  the away venue (thank you to Tim Mills);

       b) Mens and Ladies Winter League matches, although every effort needs to be made by captains to negotiate the playing of home matches at other clubs with more outdoor courts, and/or to flex the times when matches take place (i.e. not necessarily at weekends);

       c) The doubles Winter Box Ladder matches restarting on 3rd December 2020;

       d) Social play for members booking to play doubles;

       e) Singles social play and singles Winter Box Ladder matches where there is an evidence-based reason for them not to be played in the dome.

Club sessions will have to be suspended as doubles can only be played outdoors and members tell us that will either put them off coming altogether or make them less likely to take a chance of being able to get a game. On club evenings only one court would be available because we do not have floodlights on Court 5. Instead, if club sessions are important to you, we can help link you up with those whom you usually see at club sessions to pre-book doubles games with them.

You can also help by:

• Booking courts for 90 minutes not 2 hours unless you are sure you will use the whole of the 2 hour session
• Warming up off court before your court booking time slot
• Remembering that socialising on court as well as off court is not permitted under the LTAs Covid rules.

This summer, court usage was 33%, inclusive of coaching. Our aim is to ensure that everyone who wants to play tennis this winter can do so and, as long as we work together, we expect there to be sufficient court time for everyone. This does not mean that everyone will always be able to play at the time they used to play, and we will all have to be as flexible as we can to be fair to each other. Only if we cannot achieve this, will the Committee intervene to restrict the number of hours individual households can book courts in any week, or change their booking from an inside court to an outdoor court or vice versa.

Comments on the plan set out above, or questions about the restrictions, will be most welcome.