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 #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.
Update #26 – January 18, 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 2021 the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 world-wide is over 93 million with over 66 million recovered and 1,990,000 deaths. A number of new variants originating in the UK, South Africa and Brazil have recently been identified. In Canada we have over 687,000 cases, 17,500 deaths and 591,000 (75%) recovered. Mortality rate in Canada is 2.5%. A number of provinces are experiencing record numbers of cases. 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.
Many provinces are now setting different restrictions on cities or regions rather than just a province wide rule and this often impacts training facilities and sport institutes in different ways. With the surge post holiday season and the expected spikes in the winter, restrictions are being imposed to protect the medical system and health of vulnerable individuals. Please check often with your training facilities for any changes in restrictions.
Please check the links below for the latest information on options for testing and screening in the Canadian Sport Institutes.
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 Formwas 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) to occur in February 2021. Deadline to submit applications is Friday, January 22, 2021.
Please contact Dr. Andy Van Neutegem, OTP Director of Performance Sciences, Research & Innovation, andy.vanneutegem@ownthepodium.org 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 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 only 2 vaccines approved by Health Canada for use in Canada;
Both Vaccines are mRNA Vaccines, require specific cold chain management prior to administration and require 2 doses between 21 days (Pfizer) and 30 days (Moderna) apart. 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. Both 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 require proof of a negative COVID-19 PCR test prior to boarding a flight or entering a competition and/or 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.
The availability of and process for asymptomatic screening is covered in greater detail elsewhere in this Advisory.
Thanks to those sports that have reported to the COVID-19 Testing database. Recently the third data request was released, and we are creating a dashboard of information. This will be released to CMO/IST Leads as well as HPDs of sports in a secure password protected manner in the near future. 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).
Within Canada some provinces are placing restrictions on travel for sport within or across provincial lines. If camps or competitions 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 a PCR asymptomatic screening test 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 test comes back positive, isolate and follow all mandatory public health authority restrictions and requirements including cooperating with contact tracers to identify close contacts.
The travel ban across the Canada-US border has been extended and infection rates in the US continue to climb. 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 in addition to proof of a negative nasal PCR test prior to boarding the returning flight.
https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid
For international flights landing at Calgary International Airport there is a voluntary testing pilot project that would allow the quarantine to be reduced to 7 days for certain individuals but does require passengers to remain in Alberta for the full 14 day period. Details of the program may be found HERE.
Additional domestic and international travel precautions are below.
The CCES has been closely monitoring the ever evolving pandemic situation across the country. While some provincial lockdowns, curfews, and stay at home orders have been put in place, exceptions have also been made in these areas to permit the continuation of high performance athlete training. The CCES, therefore, continues its anti-doping work in all areas of the country, while ensuring that adherence to the enhanced restrictions that are in place in some areas (e.g. the curfew in Quebec) is maintained and that the supplemental anti-doping procedures, created to protect all participants during the process, are strictly followed.
The CCES also continues to monitor the vaccine roll-out in Canada. In October, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) issued the following statement regarding the COVID-19 vaccines that have come to market at that time: https://www.wada-ama.org/en/media/news/2020-12/wada-clarifies-position-on-covid-19-vaccines. The CCES remains in close contact with WADA regarding the roll-out of additional vaccines to ensure they do not contravene the anti-doping rules.
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 #25 – December 9, 2020
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.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 is over 68 million with over 47 million recovered and 1,550,000 deaths. Mortality rate in Canada is 5.2 %. In Canada we have over 423,000 cases, 12,700 deaths and 339,000 (80%) recovered. Some provinces continue to experience record numbers of cases and hospitalisations. In some countries the numbers of cases are at all-time highs. 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).
Different provinces are now setting different restrictions on cities or regions rather than just a province wide rule and this often impacts training facilities and sport institutes in different ways. Please check often with your training facilities for any changes in restrictions.
Below are links to two additional case studies, one on Wheelchair Rugby Canada and one on Curling Canada. Thanks to both organizations for sharing your experiences in return to training and competition.
Please check the links below for the latest information on options for testing for screening in the Canadian Sport Institutes.
Own the Podium, with the support of COC and CPC, have purchased Songbird Hyris bCUBE portable point of care testing devices for use by sports for training camps and competition screening for COVID-19. Protocols for obtaining and use of the devices have been developed. Information and bookings can be done through Allan Wrigley (awrigley@live.com).
Thanks to those sports that have submitted information into the COVID-19 Testing Database. The first results are just in and at this point 26 NSOs have reported on their testing and positive cases over the last 9 months. We are still receiving information. If you are a CMO of a NSO or IST Lead and have not received the relevant email and links, please contact Dr Andrew Marshall (amarshall@paralympic.ca). Also, it is important that each sport only has one person reporting the regular updates to avoid double data entries. The next request for information will go out December 14 and will request information from November 30 to December 13, 2020. Access to the dashboard will be available to sports through a password protected site in the near future.
After review of provincial trends and information regarding COVID-19, the Canada Sport Medicine Advisory Council (SMAC) recommends the following with regards to athlete and team member travel during the upcoming holiday season:
The above restrictions should be discussed and verified by team members with their NSO and conform to both provincial health authority regulations where you live as well as your travel destination.
The travel ban across the Canada-US border has been extended and infection rates in the US continue to climb. 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 local restrictions.
Additional 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
