The North American Sport Karate Association has announced their COVID-19 safety plan just three weeks before the Battle of Atlanta World Karate Championships. The regulations are based off of those set in place by Disney and will be enforced in addition to local and state guidelines. Keep reading to find out some of the highlights of these new precautions to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The first provision is that competitors and spectators are not allowed to enter the event if they feel sick or have a fever exceeding 100.4 degrees. Temperatures will be recorded at daily check-in points that participants will be required to visit in order to obtain entrance into the tournament area. Additionally, masks that cover the nose and mouth will be REQUIRED of all attendees. The masks must be secured with ear loops and alternatives like bandanas will not be acceptable. There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this policy and individuals who refuse to wear an appropriate mask will be asked to leave without refund.

There will also be clearly defined entrance points, exit points, and pathways throughout the tournament arena to control traffic flow and assist in achieving proper social distancing. Judges will be placed a minimum of six feet apart from one another, and the same is true for the rings in all directions. The divisions will also be divided into sessions to control the total amount of competitors and spectators in the room at a given time. Between these sessions, special safety and sanitation teams will be tasked with disinfecting chairs, mats, and other common areas. Members of the safety and sanitation teams will be identifiable with a neon-colored shirt.

There are a number of other protocols such as a COVID-19 liability waiver that must be signed before entrance and the forbidding of any contact between competitors and judges such as handshakes, fist bumps, or even elbow touches. The complete COVID-19 safety plan that has been approved and adopted by NASKA can be found here. These measures are necessary to ensure the safety of all attendees and the NASKA administrators have done an excellent job working together to create protocols that should make tournaments possible during this unprecedented time. Stay tuned to BlackBeltMag.com for more information and updates concerning sport karate's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.