Following the government's announcement yesterday of further measures to slow down the spread of the Coronavirus, we are doing our best to follow their instructions at MPLTC.

We are asking members to adjust their behaviour to the new reality. We will be reviewing the policy on a daily basis, and checking in with the LTA, and it may become necessary to close the club completely at short notice if so directed, or if the board believes this is in the best interests of members.

In brief

• The club house is closed except for access to toilets
• All events / social are cancelled until further notice
• Courts remain open, subject to distancing and hygiene guidance
• Advise anyone in high risk group to consider attendance at the club.

Advice from the PM and LTA

The basic advice (outline in more detail below) is to avoid all social contact and non-essential travel and although the Prime Minister talked about exercise being allowed, he emphasised that this should be within the social distancing guidelines. Tennis is a sport where individuals are mostly sufficiently distanced, although there is the possibility of transmission through contact with the balls, so we would emphasise that players should remember to avoid touching the face with their hands and to wash their hands before and after play.

We have looked to the LTA for guidance as to how we may best support the government's instructions in general.  The LTA statement from their website is at the bottom of this email.

Changes at MPLTC

Whilst we wait for further guidance from the LTA, we are announcing the following changes to the way the club operates:

• For the time being, the club will remain open for tennis only
• Courts will be open from 09h00 to 20h30 from tomorrow
• Please bring your own water bottles, pre-filled at home.
• We suggest you carry hand sanitizer
• An honesty system or tokens and balls will be run in the clubhouse. If abused, it will be stopped.
  • Balls cost six pounds, light tokens two pounds per half hour.
  • No cash - you will write name on a list in the clubhouse and items will be added to your bar tab.
• The bar and clubhouse are closed. Members are only allowed to access the club house to use the toilet and leave again. We ask members to adhere to this, we don’t have another way to the shut club house and leave toilets open, due to the layout of our club. 
• All members are reminded of the government's advice with regard to personal hygiene measures to prevent the spread of the virus, and guidance as to social distancing parameters
• Players are to try to keep 2 metres apart, avoid any physical contact, not to congregate in groups, wash their hands before and after playing, etc.
• All club organised group tennis (coaching and social) is cancelled until further notice. This includes Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and weekend social tennis, as well as team practices and team matches
• Only individual coaching sessions will continue (we await more guidance from the LTA on this) 
• People are not to use the clubhouse for any socialising or waiting around and players are not to enter the club house in groups   
• High risk members should consider attendance at the club
• Lastly, if anyone is in isolation and needs help, please reach out to the committee, so we can organise help for you.

These are extraordinary times and we trust the membership will support the management committee in trying to adhere to the government's Coronavirus guidelines. 

If you would like to join the MPLTC Social Group on WhatsApp where we will also share news quickly, please click on this link:

WhatsApp social group - receive updates

Kind regards
Gareth and the Committee

Contact Gareth on chairman@mpltc.com

Additional information

LTA Statement

The LTA remains in communication with the Government and is assessing the implications of its latest announcement for tennis in Britain over the coming weeks.  While this assessment is being undertaken, there will be an immediate suspension of activity delivered by the LTA for an initial period up until Monday 23 March.  This will include all LTA organised training sessions, training courses and LTA staged and LTA approved competitions (grade 1 to 6).

All those involved in tennis in Britain are advised to follow the latest Government advice.

New Advice – A concise overview of the government’s most up to date advice is below:

• If one person in any household has a persistent cough or fever, everyone living there must stay at home for 14 days. For anyone in the household who starts displaying symptoms, they need to stay at home for 7 days from when the symptoms appear, regardless of what day they are on in the original 14 day isolation period.
• If you live alone and you have symptoms of Coronavirus, however mild, stay at home for 7 days from when your symptoms started.
• Everyone should avoid non-essential contact with others and stop all unnecessary travel.
• Everyone should avoid gatherings and crowded places, such as pubs, clubs and theatres.
• Everyone should try to work from home if their work and role permits it where possible.
• All unnecessary visits to friends and relatives in care homes should cease.
• Only use the NHS where you have to, and go online rather than call 111. There will be no emergency services at any mass gatherings.
• The Prime Minister stated that the advice about avoiding all unnecessary social contact is particularly important for people over 70, for pregnant women and for those with some health conditions. Further, by this coming weekend (21/22 March), it will be necessary to ensure that those with the most serious health conditions are largely shielded from social contact for around 12 weeks.