Hello Empire Tennis Academy Players and Parents, 

 

Starting this Monday, March 7, 2022, wearing a mask will be optional for students, parents, and staff at Empire Tennis Academy. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Empire Tennis Academy has adhered to the Mask Policy and COVID-19 Protocol guidelines that have been set by the Harley School. With Harley set to lift their mask mandate Monday, March 7th, 2022, Empire will follow suit to continue aligning itself with school policy. This is a major development for us, two years after the onset of the pandemic, but we are continuing to follow the recommendations of the CDC, the New York State Department of Health, and the Monroe County Dept. of Public Health. 

 

Here are the details

 

• Students, staff, and visitors are no longer required to wear a mask on school grounds unless they have tested positive and are returning after 5 days of isolation, or have had a known exposure to a person with Covid. 

 

• Any person who has tested positive must isolate for 5 days and must wear a mask through the 10th day from the date of their initial 

 

• As ever, we will insist on an accepting and supportive environment at Empire Tennis Academy  We expect a good number of adults and students to continue wearing masks. You and your children must decide what is best for you, and it is up to you and your children to make that plan and follow through on it. We will be working together on continuing to cultivate an environment of mutual respect and belonging at Empire Tennis Academy, in every context, including the decision to wear or not wear a mask.

 

People will still get/ be exposed to Covid - 19/ other Illnesses 

 

Should a community member be diagnosed with Covid - 19, they will need to 

• Stay home in isolation until symptoms resolve/ a minimum of 5 days

• When returning back, they will need to wear a well-fitting, surgical or better mask until 10 days after initial onset 

• Should a community member have a known exposure to Covid-19, they can continue to attend but MUST wear a well-fitting, surgical or better mask for 10-days after the exposure.

 

What Else

 

You or your child should still keep a mask in their tennis bag or pocket in case it is needed.  We will also continue to provide masks to those who need them

 

This is a major breakthrough along our journey back to normalcy, however, COVID-19 is still ongoing.  Empire Tennis Academy will continue to take the following safety precautions to minimize the spread of infection and illness:

• Hand sanitizers will be available near entrances and exits of the court banks

• Players should have their own water bottle and towel

• Bleachers will not be in use

• Loaner racquets are disinfected at the end of every day.

• We reserve the right to send home any participants who feel unwell. We are happy to reschedule lessons if you aren't in your best health.

 

 

If you’d like to read the entire NYSDOH guidance document, it can be found here. Updates to CDC guidance and community transmission level mitigation strategies can be found here.  

 

We at Empire Tennis Academy are excited about this change, as it feels like an important and very welcome step in the right direction, and we know many of you will share this excitement. That being stated, not everyone will feel that way, as there are some in our community who are more vulnerable than others, and we all have our own levels of risk tolerance. If the situation demands, we can always put our masks back on. We will continue to work together to make this step a success, and while there are some kinks still to iron out, we feel the community at Empire Tennis Academy will remain flexible, smart, and safe as we continue along thing path together.