How we dance in times of flu and corona

Dancing comes with many positive health benefits, but when it comes to the possible spread of flu and corona, our dance interest is not only a good thing.

We follow the local risk assessments as well as official recommendations and adapt our rekommendations accordingly.

• The following is based on The Public Health Agency of Sweden‘s recommendations and the Swedish Dance Sports Association’s interpretations of these
• We adapt and update regularly, so feel free to come back here closer to the course start.

When taking part in any of our activities you are obligated to:

Reduce the risk of infection and infecting!

We think that all these rules can still apply even after 29 September.

• Always stay home if you are sick! Especially for the slightest flu, cold like symptoms or anything else that may be a sign of covid-19
• You should still be vaccinated against COVID-19 *
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and warm water >30s.
• As backup to washing hands use hand saintlier between dances.
• Avoid touching your face. Especially the eyes.
• Stay home if you have been in contact with people who might carry COVID-19.

* The Swedish Public Health Agency recommends that adults who have not been vaccinated take special precautions. This means that these people should avoid crowds and large crowds indoors.
We still like to see that you who take the course are vaccinated, but from 9 February it is no longer a requirement we can make.

HepTown will:

• Inform, repeat and nag about the above points to reduce the spread of infection
• Keep down the number of participants/course
• Make sure there is access to soap and hand sanitizer
• Limit and make partners rotation voluntary on all courses**
• As far as possible, have substitutes ready for instructors who obviously stay at home if they have symptoms.
• Be prepared to pause all or part of the course activities again

** How do we eliminate/reduce the partner rotation on the courses?

And what happens to someone who does not have a partner?

Changing partners is voluntary during the pandemic, but we then want to go back to courses where everyone dances with everyone as the courses work much better that way.

If needed we might go back to using rotation groups during the fall 2022, but right now the plan is to have regular rotation where everyone dances with everyone

1. Anyone who has or acquires a permanent dance partner simply dances with this one.
2. Those who do not have a regular dance partner are paired together on arrival per course occasion and dance with the same person all evening.
3. Those who wish to participate in a minimized form of rotation, form rotation groups of 2-3 pairs. Within these groups, you then rotate as frequently as on a regular course.

More information about the coronavirus 

https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/smittskydd-beredskap/smittsamma-sjukdomar/coronavirus/

https://www.krisinformation.se/corona

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/summary.html

Updates

Updated March 13th 2020 20:14

New restrictions from the 23rd of December 2021

What do they mean for our courses and social dances? According to estimates, the peak of the spread of infection will be in January, thus restrictions can possibly be released before the course semester start in mid-February, but at present no dates have been set. If they are not released and for courses and social dances before that, it could look like the following

At public events, to which our social dances in their current form are assumed to belong, only seated guests are allowed if there are more than 20 people. A return to antisocial dance training with a permanent partner and pre-registration may be relevant here as a substitute for the social dances.

Avrådan från cuper och läger inomhus som inte innebär yrkesmässig utövning. Däremot kan ordinarie aktiviteter med träningar, övningar, matcher, föreställning och tävlingar fortgå. Tolkar vi som att våra ordinarie kurser kan fortsätta men att vi ska undvika dansläger (som vi ändå inte har några planterade just nu)

For culture and leisure activities, requirements are set at 10 square meters per person. This, our courses should follow even if the course activities are closed arrangements that are not legally covered by these requirements. A smaller number of participants in each course and a return to smaller rotation groups may be relevant here, or a delayed course start.

A maximum of 50 people when renting out places for private gatherings applies to those who rent out venues for classes to us, but we are already staying way below that.

https://www.folkhalsomyndigheten.se/nyheter-och-press/nyhetsarkiv/2021/december/flera-nya-atgarder-vidtas-den-23-december-nar-smittspridningen-vantas-oka/

* Not valid after February 9th. Due to FHM’s easing of the restrictions for vaccinated and new restrictions for unvaccinated, starting september 29th, we require that you are vaccinated or have natural immunity (recovered from covid-19 in the last 6 months). FHM is very clear, those who are not vaccinated should not dance.
You can download your certificate here, but we do not promise to check everyone as it would take too much time and resources from courses and social dances.
In order not to discriminate, you are also admitted with a recent negative test for covid-19 (PCR within 48h)