Clean start as play centres spring back

CHILDREN will start bouncing back from the COVID-19 lockdown when play centres reopen.

Geelong trampoline and activity centre Supaworld was among the centres planning to return to action today under new limits set by the State Government.

The Grovedale centre plans to modify some operations to further minimise the risk of infection but SupaGroup general manager Mark Fountain said hygiene and safety had always been a high priority.

Mr Fountain said the Australian Trampoline Park Association had pushed for governments to recognise the centres and their ability to accommodate COVID-19 regulations that broadly echoed existing conditions and procedures. “We are not reinventing the wheel,” Mr Fountain said.

Under the government restrictions, play centres are allowed 20 people “per space”, subject to the 4sq m rule, with up to 10 people in a group but there are no limits on the number of people per group if all participants are aged 18 or younger.

Where possible people must remain at least 1.5m apart and venues with multiple separate spaces must ensure there are measures in place to limit close contact between patrons in shared spaces, such as foyers and bathrooms.

New procedures at Supaworld include compulsory online booking, including a waiver form that will assist in tracking attendees in the event of a coronavirus case, and sessions being separated by a 30-minute cleaning window that will also eliminate crossover contact between groups in different sessions.

There will also be hand sanitiser stations at the entrance and at each activity and a hygiene monitor will be in attendance at all times. All staff have gone through infection control training.

“We have disinfectant fog machines, which disinfect the tops of the climbing walls and tops of all the playgrounds,” Mr Fountain said.

Last week the centre was clarifying how the “per space” limits will apply to its range of trampoline activities but Mr Fountain said at least 80 people would be allowed in the 3000sq m venue. He said even if it was eventually allowed to return to full capacity of 360 — 180 participants and 180 spectators — the centre would have far more space than the 4sq m per person required at retail and hospitality venues.

As a father of two, Mr Fountain said children had been the most affected by the COVID-19 lockdown, losing access to friends, playtime in the park and school. But he said Australia’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Brendan Murphy, had argued that children were low transmitters of the coronavirus.

“Our business caters 100 per cent towards kids and we felt we were in a low-risk category,” Mr Fountain said.

Supaworld has had 31 employees on JobKeeper and Mr Fountain hoped that all staff, including those who had not been eligible for the welfare payments, would soon be returning to the workforce.