Only adequately vaccinated persons (2 doses for at least 14 days) may access the INS Québec Complexe
Regular users and visitors must present their vaccination passport or proof of adequate vaccination (2 doses for at least 14 days) upon arrival at the Complex.
The date of the second dose will also be requested in order to verify that it was administered at least 14 days before (the vaccination passport is considered valid after 7 days, but we require 14 days as an additional precaution).
For regular users, the presentation of the vaccination passport or proof of adequate vaccination will be required only at the first visit, unless otherwise specified.
This is in addition to other measures in effect (see below).
Only adequately vaccinated persons (2 doses for at least 14 days) may access the INS Québec Complexe
Regular users and visitors must present their vaccination passport or proof of adequate vaccination (2 doses for at least 14 days) upon arrival at the Complex.
The date of the second dose will also be requested in order to verify that it was administered at least 14 days before (the vaccination passport being valid after 7 days).
For regular users, the presentation of the vaccination passport or proof of adequate vaccination will be required only at the first visit, unless otherwise specified.
This is in addition to other measures in effect (see below).
It is mandatory to complete the daily symptom assessment questionnaire within 4 hours before coming to the Institute.
Please choose the status that represents you to complete your form
You are an employee of the Institut, stakeholder or responsible for a sport and you have access to GDS.
Please log in to GDS to complete your C-19 form.
You are an athlete and you have access to your portal.
Please log in to Athena to complete your C-19 form.
You are an employee of the Institut and do not have GDS access.
You want to access the Complex and you do not have access to any of the Institute’s portals.
It is mandatory to view the video “For a safe return at INS Québec Complex” before coming to the Complex.
Update #29 – October 21, 2021
Please Note: The SMAC COVID-19 Advisory will no longer be released bi-weekly and will be issued ‘as required’. Please continue to request information via the SMAC CMOs and/or members of the COVID-19 Return to Sport Task Force.
Having returned from the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games it is worthwhile to reflect on the success from both the sporting and medical fronts. A detailed debrief of the Tokyo quinquennial experiences was conducted by OTP on October 13-14, 2021.
In terms of COVID we are very happy to report that there were no cases within the Canadian teams at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. In the Games environment there were a total of 863 cases and 25 hospitalized cases.
In terms of vaccination the numbers are not complete, but 90% of all Canadian Olympic and 87% of all Canadian Paralympic athletes had been vaccinated and 92% of all Canadian Olympic and 91% of all Canadian Paralympic staff team members were vaccinated. Estimates are that 80% of all international athletes attending the Olympics were vaccinated.
As well the number of non-COVID illnesses at the Games was extremely low with 3 upper respiratory illnesses at the Olympics and none at the Paralympics and no Gastrointestinal (GI) cases. This is a result of all the preventive measures put in place for COVID which included wearing of masks, social distancing and likely most importantly washing of hands. These measures should continue to be implemented for Beijing 2022 as well as future Games.
Many National Olympic Committees and Paralympic Committees, including the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee, have declared that all team members going to Beijing 2022 will be required to be fully vaccinated.
Is mixing and matching vaccinations safe?
In combination with the above preventive measures in place at the Tokyo Games and recommended by public health experts, vaccines remain very effective for prevention and decreasing symptoms of COVID-19. Recent studies have shown that mixing and matching of vaccinations are very effective as well (see information below).
Can I access other countries with a mixing and matching vaccination history?
There have recently been issues with some countries not accepting mixing and matching of vaccinations for purposes of travel or being allowed to access facilities and restaurants as an example. This is a rapidly evolving issue that is being addressed at the federal government level. It is important that NSOs check with the destination country for restrictions.
Recently the USA has stipulated that Canadians will be permitted with a mixing and matching vaccination history (e.g., Pfizer and Astra Zeneca) or two viral vector vaccinations (e.g., Astra Zeneca).
Should an athlete or staff member get a third dose if they had two viral vector vaccinations (e.g., Astra Zeneca)?
If an athlete or staff has received a complete vaccination of two doses of Astra Zeneca, they do not require a third dose of vaccine unless they are immunocompromised, and a third dose is recommended by their provincial health officer.
If an athlete or staff member received a vaccine not licenced in Canada (e.g. Sputnik) then a third dose of a mRNA vaccine is recommended.
Should an athlete or staff member get a third dose of a mRNA vaccination if they received mixed and matched vaccinations?
Mixing and matching vaccinations is very effective, and a third dose is not required from a medical perspective. Some countries (unlikely to be required for travel to Beijing) are requiring a third dose of mRNA (Pfizer or Moderna) prior to entry for individuals with a mixing and matching vaccination history. This will require a third dose for the purpose of travel to these specific countries.
Where in Canada can I get a mRNA booster?
Different provinces provide a third dose or booster for the purpose of travelling to other countries which may not accept Canada’s mixing and match approach. Based on the advice of the National Advisory Committee for Immunization (NACI) provinces are providing third doses for immunocompromised individuals.
This Table provides an update of provincial access to a third dose in Canada for immunocompromised individuals and those needing a third dose for travel.
Further information about COVID-19 may be obtained from your NSO Chief Medical Officer or Team Physician, or the Chief Medical Officers of the Sport Medicine Advisory Committee.
Update #28 – June 30, 2021
Please Note: The SMAC COVID-19 Advisory will no longer be released bi-weekly and will be issued ‘as required’. Please continue to request information via the SMAC CMOs and/or members of the COVID-19 Return to Sport Task Force.
As Playbook 3 has been released with updated information from Tokyo 2020 and the Japanese government, the following information is vital for all teams headed to Tokyo this summer. It is recommended for all athletes and staff travelling to Tokyo for the Games to read the Playbook V3.
Before departing on the flight to Japan every individual will require 2 RT-PCR tests done using nasopharyngeal or saliva testing. NO antigen tests will be acceptable.
These tests must be within 96 hours of departure and be at least 24 hours apart. We suggest one test at 96 hours and the other 48-72 hours to allow for results to be available and any inconclusive results to be repeated.
Tests need to be through an approved facility to be accepted. The link below has the final list of accepted clinics within Canada as well as internationally.
Although the actual Japanese Government certificate is not required, all of the information on this Certificate is required on these 2 test results. Below is a link to the certificate from the Japanese Government that contains the information required.
VALID FORMAT OF CERTIFICATE OF NEGATIVE TEST RESULT
In the 14 days prior to departure, vigilance in terms of avoiding extra contacts and public environments, hygiene, mask wearing, and maintaining physical distancing is very important. Despite the general easing of restrictions for the public across most regions in Canada, this is not the time for those participating in the Games to relax your vigilance.
This is also the time to prepare your travel kit as per COC/CPC recommendations, gather copies of your vaccine certificates, previous COVID test results and any relevant medical information if you have had COVID previously. Please download the apps that are required at the games (Online check in and health report App OCHA and Contact Confirming App COCOA) onto your phone prior to departure (NOTE: These can take up to 24 hrs to activate so we advise downloading well in advance of departure).
If you have tested positive for COVID-19, especially in the 120 days prior to travel, please contact your CMO/CLO and gather all information on your testing, medical treatment including info on symptoms, whether you were tested for variants, recovery etc. This information will be vital for navigating the many possibilities that may arise during travel and at the Games.
Vaccinations in Canada are managed by the Federal and Provincial Vaccination Task Force / National Advisory Committee on Vaccination with specific provincial vaccination schedules, plans and programs in place. Through the IOC/IPC Pfizer agreement all members of the Olympic and Paralympic team have the opportunity to receive two doses prior to leaving for the Games. This also includes all support staff and officials that will be going to Tokyo. Please ensure that the information is updated in GEMSPRO as you receive your shots.
Having a vaccine does not lead to false positive COVID-19 testing for either PCR or antigen testing. Having the vaccine does not alter the requirement for 2 PCR tests prior to departure as outlined above.
Being double vaccinated not only protects the individual from testing positive which would impact an athlete’s ability to train and compete but also impacts whether you would be considered a close contact and possibly require self-isolation. It also protects the rest of the team, our hosts in Tokyo, as well as reduces the risk of bringing a variant back to Canada upon return from the Games. For more information on vaccine and activity guidelines please see the PHAC Vaccine Activity Guide.
Returning from international travel after 5 July and being double vaccinated will also allow you to avoid the 14 day quarantine in a government hotel and at home.
At present there are 4 vaccines approved by Health Canada for use in Canada.
Moderna and Pfizer Vaccines are newer technology mRNA Vaccines, require specific cold chain management prior to administration and require two doses between 21 days (Pfizer) and 30 days (Moderna) apart. In several provinces the interval was extended to as much as four months between injections to enable maximisation of 1st dose administration in light of earlier limited supply. The dosing interval has since been reduced in most regions. Through the IOC/IPC Pfizer program all games participants are eligible to receive the vaccines earlier to ensure double vaccination prior to departure. In early clinical trials they are between 94% and 95% effective 2 weeks after the second dose. New data will be known for the newer variants as the vaccination program reaches more people.
AstraZeneca is a viral vector vaccine which uses adenovirus (same as common cold virus) to deliver a COVID-19 spike protein that is on the surface of the virus to induce the immune response. It is also a 2 injection vaccine with the time interval 4-12 weeks between injections.
Janssen is another viral vector vaccine which is a single dose vaccine and takes 2 weeks to develop significant protection against COVID-19. It has been found to be 66% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 disease.
All vaccines are WADA compliant.
Mix and match with the above vaccines has been studied and found to be both safe and effective. It is recommended that athletes and staff travelling internationally be vaccinated at least 72 hours prior to departure as some individuals will have minor flu like symptoms after their second dose and fever or illness may affect screening for travel on international flights.
At present, athletes and staff returning to Canada by air must comply with the following federal requirement:
Those individuals arriving by land are NOT required to quarantine in a COVID hotel while awaiting their arrival test result but must follow the other requirements listed above.
As of July 6, fully vaccinated individuals (14 days after second shot of an approved vaccine), will only be required to quarantine at home while awaiting a negative arrival test. Data to confirm proof of vaccination will have to be provided on the ArriveCAN app.
As this can vary by province, please check with your Canadian Sport Institute (CSI) or local public health authority for any specific updates in your area.
CSIs have plans in place including regular testing that may differ for individuals that have just completed interprovincial travel depending on various factors. These include:
If not fully vaccinated, you should discuss your circumstances directly with your NSO and/or CSI CMO.
As an example, Athlete A who is fully vaccinated and drives to a camp in another province will not require pre-travel or arrival testing. Athlete B who is not fully vaccinated or travels by air or land transit will require a pre travel and/or arrival PCR test prior to entering a Training Node, Training Bubble, or CSI.
At this point, it is recommended that changes to commonly used antigen tests for screening purposes should not occur based upon an individual’s vaccination status.
Further information about COVID-19 may be obtained from your NSO Chief Medical Officer or Team Physician, or the Chief Medical Officers of the Sport Medicine Advisory Committee.
Update #27 – March 30, 2021
Please Note: The SMAC COVID-19 Advisory will no longer be released bi-weekly and will be issued ‘as required’. Please continue to request information via the SMAC CMOs and/or members of the COVID-19 Return to Sport Task Force.
As we move into April of 2021 the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 world-wide is over 126 million with over 101 million recovered and 2,766,000 deaths. A number of new variants originating in the UK, South Africa and Brazil have recently been identified. In Canada we have over 952,000 cases, 22,700 deaths and 890,000 (93%) recovered. Mortality rate in Canada is 2.3%. A number of provinces are experiencing record numbers of cases and hospitalizations indicating the third wave appears to be upon us. In some countries the numbers of cases are at all-time highs and this reinforces the need to remain careful and follow recommendations on hand washing, physical distancing and use of masks which is now mandatory in most provinces in Canada and many countries in the world.
Please check the following links for the latest information on options for testing for screening in each of the CSIs across Canada.
In November 2020, National Sports Organizations received Canada’s Olympic and Paralympic COVID-19 Screening and Testing Program Guidelines. A NSO COVID-19 Screening Request Form was provided for the use of the Hyris bCUBE Testing Kits/Units, recently purchased by the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee. OTP is responsible for coordinating requests and invites NSOs to submit an application form for Point of Care Testing (POCT)
Please contact Dr. Andy Van Neutegem, OTP Director of Performance Sciences, Research & Innovation, andy.vanneutegem@ownthepodium.org or a Canadian Sport Institute should you wish to have further information or discuss your POCT options.
Vaccinations in Canada are managed by the Federal and Provincial Vaccination Task Force / National Advisory Committee on Vaccination with specific provincial vaccination schedules, plans and programs in place. The rollout of the vaccine is well underway and supply chains are ramping up the vaccination process.
The Canadian Vaccination programs specifically target the highest risk populations and communities initially and then rolled out to the less vulnerable and lower at-risk individuals. Canadian athletes and teams will fit into the Public Health vaccination program, but we are not able to confirm any specific details at this stage.
At present there are 4 vaccines approved by Health Canada for use in Canada;
Moderna and Pfizer Vaccines are newer technology mRNA Vaccines, require specific cold chain management prior to administration and require 2 doses between 21 days (Pfizer) and 30 days (Moderna) apart. In several provinces the interval has been extended as much as 4 months between injections to enable maximisation of 1st dose administration with the limited supply available. In early clinical trials they are between 94% and 95% effective 2 weeks after the second dose although new data will be known as the vaccination program reaches more people.
AstraZeneca is viral vector vaccine which uses adenovirus (same as common cold virus) to deliver a COVID-19 spike protein that is on the surface of virus to induce the immune response. It is also a 2 injection vaccine with the time interval 4-12 weeks between injections.
Janssen is another viral vector vaccine which is a single dose vaccine and takes 2 weeks to develop significant protection against COVID-19. It has been found to be 66% effective in preventing symptomatic COVID-19 disease.
All vaccines are WADA compliant.
At this stage it is too early to know definitively how long, and to what level immunity will be maintained post vaccine (or even post infection). For this reason, countries, international sport federations and Canadian Sport Institutes continue to require proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test (and some an added rapid antigen test) prior to boarding a flight or entering a competition / training camp bubble rather than a vaccine certificate. The exact timing allowance for COVID-19 PCR tests pre-departure and arrival at destination varies between 48 and 72 hours.
We will continue to monitor guidelines and requirements for testing, but teams will need to confirm the specific testing requirements for their destinations and competitions prior to departure.
Thanks to those sports that have reported to the COVID-19 Testing database. We are still receiving information and if you are a CMO of a sport or IST Lead that has not received the email and links please contact Dr. Andrew Marshall (amarshall@paralympic.ca). Requests can be made to OTP should you require specific data for a specific purpose such as an application or presentation to public health authorities.
Within Canada some provinces are placing restrictions on travel for sport within or across provincial lines. If camps or competition are planned, please check for the latest restrictions.
SMAC strongly recommends that NSOs travelling to another province without a travel restriction or isolation requirements, consider PCR asymptomatic screening tests prior to departure or upon arrival. If the test is negative, athletes and staff should maintain a quarantined training bubble and re-test on Day 5. During and following quarantine periods, continue to follow all required preventative measures such as wearing a mask, washing hands frequently and avoiding close contact.
If any asymptomatic screening comes back positive, isolate and follow all mandatory public health authority restrictions and requirements including PCR testing.
The travel ban across the Canada-US border has been extended and there is no date of ending this in the near future.
To limit the spread of COVID-19, the Government of Canada advises avoiding non-essential travel outside of Canada. For teams planning to travel for international competitions and camps a full risk assessment and mitigation strategy process should be undertaken to assess the potential benefit of international competition / qualification (using the RCAT- III) versus the risk of travel and the potential impact of the 14 day quarantine.
For ANY international travel into Canada there is a mandatory 14 day self-isolation requirement with PCR testing on entry to Canada and again on day 10 in addition to proof of a negative nasal PCR test prior to boarding the returning flight.
https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid
Additional domestic and international travel precautions are as follows:
Further information about COVID-19 may be obtained from your NSO Chief Medical Officer or Team Physician, or the Chief Medical Officers of the Sport Medicine Advisory Committee.
If you would like to receive previous updates from the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee, please contact Communications Services: communicationsmedias@insquebec.org