PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. — The Players is working to make sure everyone who steps foot onto the TPC Sawgrass golf course stays healthy and informed about its response to concerns over the coronavirus.
A notice posted on The Players website lists the steps tournament officials have taken to keep fans healthy, including adding hand sanitizer stations at all restrooms, along with 120 additional hand sanitizer dispensers in high-traffic fan areas and volunteer headquarters. "The gel included in these dispensers are at the CDC standard of 60% Ethyl Alcohol," the notice says.
Fans will also be permitted to bring hand sanitizer into the tournament, a departure from The Players' policy of prohibiting fans from bringing liquids onto the course.
The post continues to say fans should be aware that some players may decline to sign autographs out of an abundance of caution.
A frequently asked questions section of the tournament's COVID-19 page states no refunds will be issued for people who decide not to attend the tournament for any reason. The Players said fans who are ill should refrain from attending the tournament.
If a fan is sick once they get to The Players, they can visit the onsite medical personnel, who are "trained to identify symptoms and would follow protocol for COVID-19 as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Florida Department of Health and St. Johns County."
As far as the professional golfers, The Players has communicated they should not travel if they are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms and is encouraging anyone at risk due to travel history to follow recommendations outlined by the CDC.
Here is a list of precautions being taken at The Players:
- Installation of additional hand-sanitizing stations at all permanent restrooms on course; all temporary restrooms on-site contain hand sanitizer dispensers.
- Additional stand-alone hand-sanitizing stations positioned in high-traffic fan zones. The Players have ordered 30 additional stations with four dispensers on each for a total of 120 hand sanitizers dispensers. The gel included in these dispensers are at the CDC standard of 60% Ethyl Alcohol.
- Sanitizing hand wipes are being provided by Players hospital partner Baptist Health and Flagler Health+, and will be available to all volunteers and hospitality clients in their respective venues. In addition, at all on-site first aid stations, hand wipes will be available for fans.
- Fans will be permitted to bring hand sanitizer into the tournament of any size.
- Venue Smart, the tournament's on-site janitorial vendor, is using EPA-approved Lysol multi-surface disinfectant each evening to clean back of house, tables, chairs, door handles and all other surfaces.
- Tournament catering companies will disinfect serving utensils and surfaces each evening and will replace serving utensils throughout food service times.
- All vendors have been asked to communicate and post hygiene protocol. Any employee feeling ill has been instructed not to come to work.
- Reinforcing with staff and volunteers to be extra vigilant with regards to personal hygiene (hand washing with soap and water 20 seconds or more, covering your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, etc.).
"We ask fans to stay informed and if you are feeling ill not to attend the tournament," The Players website says.
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