Keeping it clean at Champs
DENNIS GORDON, owner of JACDEN Enterprises, the company responsible for the sanitisation efforts at the ISSA/GraceKennedy Boys and Girls’ Athletics Championships at the National Stadium, has sought to assure that no stone is being left unturned in their commitment to ensuring a safe environment for those in attendance at the event.
Gordon, whose team can be seen throughout the venue cleaning equipment and implements after each use, and sanitising athletes and officials, noted that they have witnessed a high compliance rate, with persons adhering to the strict COVID-19 safety protocols in place.
“We haven’t had any issue with compliance because we have been doing a series of meetings before Champs, and so everybody was kind of prepared prior to, so we are very pleased that the cooperation is where we had expected it to be,” said Gordon.
“Persons are complying because they understand the protocols and, most important, they were briefed on the rules prior to the championships, and that if there is any breach, it could put the championships at risk,” Gordon added. “The approvals to hosting the championships were predicated on some strict protocols, and so I am pleased that we have not had any challenges up until now.
“The truth is we are dealing with the officials, coaches and athletes and they are more disciplined, and so honestly, there are no issues yet, and we are hoping that the remainder of the championships will be incident-free,” he added.
Gordon pointed out that his company has more than 70 staff members working at the National Stadium throughout the championships each day.
He warned that no shortcuts will be taken in ensuring that each individual inside the venue is properly sanitised.
“We will not compromise, we will not make any exceptions. It is critical because you are talking about the safety of personnel, and that, for me, is a beacon of what we do, and we will not compromise,” said Gordon.
“Anyone coming to the stadium, whether you are an official or whatever delegation that you represent, once you are accredited to come to the stadium, you will be subjected to robust sanitisation, and we will not relent on this process,” he added.
The championships, which was cancelled last year due to the coronavirus, will continue at the National Stadium until tomorrow.