Covid 19 Guidance updated

On March 14, Covid 19 Guidance was issued for United States Judo Federation. At that time an update was anticipated which has now appeared.

Thank you very much to Dr. Ricardo Joseph and Dr. Eric Chen of the USJF Medical Committee for their time and expertise in helping to put together this information along with recommendations for our community. This will be helpful for everyone as we all work through the trying & difficult times ahead.

This document provides recommendations from the USJF Medical Committee on the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

• We must all behave responsibly to protect own health, but also to protect everyone’s health by not contracting, carrying, and transmitting the COVID-19 virus to others.
• These recommendations are based on the current and most up-to-date information and data available at the time of creation. This was accomplished by researching and reviewing guidelines published by various sports medicine organizations, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Center for Disease Control (CDC).
• We remind you that the COVID-19 pandemic is a rather fluid and sometimes chaotic environment with occasionally conflicting medical information.
• Keep yourself informed with the latest information, developments, and situation by visiting the CDC’s COVID-19 page.
• Also visit your state’s health department website, and keep up with your local news. Empowerment though knowledge and education is critical.
• It is vitally important for everyone to be mindful that each individual’s health situation is unique and may require different strategies. Thus, we strongly recommend that people consult with their primary care physician/doctor/medical professional to ensure that they are taking the appropriate measures that are what is safest and most effective for their
  personal situation.
• These are general recommendations. It is NOT our intent to circumvent or replace the advice or directives from your primary care physician/doctor/medical professional.
• We encourage compliance with government recommendations, regulations,
  requirements, and laws.
• Our intent is to help keep all of our members safe while still retaining some flexibility for our high-level elite athletes.

Everyone Must Be Responsible & Diligent

Everyone involved (including coaches, parents, and spectators) will have to closely monitor their health and truly strive to remain healthy. We all have to realize and accept the fact that if anyone in our group gets sick/infected, with the COVID-19 virus, we will have to assume that we are ALL INFECTED until proven otherwise.

Some of the changes in the document …

Stay At Home/Shelter In Place

The federal government is recommending that the general public stay at home. Many state and municipal governments are recommending/mandating that the general public stay at home and shelter in place. We encourage you to support these recommendations and mandates. Avoid exposure to COVID-19 and stay home as much as possible. Be mindful of “social distancing” and put distance between yourself and other people, six (6) feet or more whenever possible to avoid contact with respirator droplets when an infected person talks, sneezes, or coughs. Try to avoid contact with people who are sick and people who have been exposed to COVID-19. Studies have suggested that COVID-19 may be spread by people when they appear to be asymptomatic.

USJF Sanctioned Events

We are cancelling all previously USJF approved sanctions for events scheduled to occur on or before May 15, 2020. We will not accept sanction applications for any event to be scheduled to occur on or before May 15, 2020. We encourage event planners, organizers, and sponsors to wait until the current pandemic has subsided and the government restrictions and recommendations are lifted.

USJF National Office Update

In compliance with government recommendations and mandates, the USJF National Office will continue to operate with the staff generally working remotely from home as much as possible. We are observing social distancing by having only one (1) person in the office at any time. Much of our communication comes through the USPS mail. We will pick up and process our USPS mail as normal. As much as possible, work will be distributed and handled remotely. Though we will continue to answer the telephone, we strongly encourage you to communicate with us via email during these times.

Here is the pdf for distribution