Re-Opening Pools - Latest Update

Dear owners,

We trust this email finds you all safe and well. May we contact you with information concerning United Golf Resorts La Tercia.

POOLS

As you will probably already be aware the regional government have published their regulations and health guidelines relating to the ‘new norm’, that commenced on the 21st of June.

In previous newsletters we reported that, whilst the Government said community pools could open, the H&S restrictions were going to be very expensive to the community and for this reason our pools should remain closed.

The Murcian Government have now published the following:

Annex I. GENERAL HYGIENE, PREVENTIVE AND CAPACITY MEASURES

1. General obligations for social distancing.

All citizens must adopt the measures required to avoid generating the risk of spreading COVID-19, as well as their own exposure to these risks, in accordance with the provisions of Royal Decree-Law 21/2020, dated 9th June. This duty of caution and protection is also required of the owners of any facility. These measures include, provided that this is possible, respect for the rules of respiratory etiquette, as well as the maintenance of the interpersonal safety distance of at least 1.5 metres as set out in Royal Decree-Law 21/2020, dated 9th June. In those cases, where it is not possible to respect the interpersonal safety distance, the use of a mask is essential, within the terms and limits established by Royal Decree 21/2020, dated 9th June, recommending the use of any other methods of protection or barrier appropriate to the concurrent level of risk. In those activities taking place with participants or customers seated or lying down, this distance of 1.5 metres must be maintained between seats, loungers, or between tables and groups of tables, exceptions only being allowed for people with ties to each other. In all cases, the appropriate precautionary and protective measures must be observed in order to prevent any spread, prioritizing the use of masks when possible due to the nature of the activity being carried out. In those cases, where interpersonal contact outside groups of linked people is essential, special attention must be paid to the use of protective or barrier methods guaranteeing safety.

2. General preventive and hygiene measures.

The owners of any facility, as well as any kind of public or private establishment, space or premises with any gathering of people must adopt the following general preventive and hygiene measures, without prejudice to those established in the general or specific protocols applicable in each case:

1. Appropriate and frequent ventilation, cleaning, and disinfection of spaces and materials, with special attention to those elements with shared or successive use, or which may be touched by different people. As a minimum, all areas with shared use must be cleaned and ventilated twice a day.

2. Promotion of frequent washing of hands, making soap and water, hydro alcoholic gels, or disinfectants with authorised active virucide available to workers, customers, participants, or attendees.

3. Making available pedal pins and suitable means for disposing of tissues and protective and cleaning materials.

4. Supply of appropriate and sufficient information to facilitate the application of preventive measures, using such methods as posters, megaphones, signage, and marking out safety distances on the ground or other similar measures. In all cases, this obligation must be respected in those cases where queues and waiting times are generated between participants or users.

5. Faced with the presence of symptoms compatible with COVID-19 in any person found on the facilities or participating in the activity being carried out, they must be urged to adopt the measures required to avoid possible spread, including leaving the facilities. In all cases, they will be informed of their obligation to contact the health services.

3. General organizational and capacity measures.

3.3. The organizational measures needed in order to avoid crowds will be adopted both for entry and exit, which must be staggered and respect the interpersonal safety distance. Where there are two or more doors, efforts will be made to establish separate use of these for entry and exit. Similarly, the movement of people must be organised using the appropriate signage.

For several weeks, we have been planning and preparing for the inevitable re-opening of our swimming pools and other sports & leisure equipment: understanding the stated rules, evaluating the requirements to meet those rules and finally obtaining cost quotations from our suppliers.

The table of costs displayed below shows the facilities and H & S requirements for swimming pools:

These costs are obviously not in our 2020 budget and would need to be funded from reserves.

We have shown below the following key points following advice from the Community lawyer:

1. The regional regulations published today, which as relevant clarifying data raises the capacity allowed in swimming pools in the Region of Murcia, from the 30% provided for in the State regulations derived from the state of alarm, up to 75%.

2. In view of the above, from a strictly legal point of view, with the end of the state of alarm I understand that there is NO reason for the Community of Owners not to open the community pools.

3. From the perspective of the Horizontal Property Law, the permanence of its closure could be interpreted as the suppression of a service of general interest already established, being legally required for this a general meeting agreement with the favorable vote of 3/5, both in number of owners and participation fees. This agreement would also require prior approval with the same percentage of votes and coefficient in all the Sub-Communities of the Resort.

4. Regarding the obligatory extra expenses that must be faced to comply with the requirements imposed by the new legal provisions for the use of swimming pools, it is an increase in maintenance expenses in common elements, which cannot be avoided as a direct consequence of the legal imposition resulting from the new regulations published today on the use of such facilities.

5. Therefore, I reiterate that there is currently no legal reason that prevents the opening of the pools of the Resort, but at the same time I consider that the limitations and requirements imposed by the autonomous regulations from today in force are mandatory, so at the same time, the required security and control measures must be implemented necessarily and with all rigor by the General Community of Owners, and must be paid from the available community funds.

6. General prevention and hygiene measures. The holders of any activity, as well as any type of establishments, spaces or premises, public or private, with the attendance of people, must adopt the following general prevention and hygiene measures, without prejudice to those established in the applicable general or specific protocols in each case.

7. Adequate and frequent ventilation, cleaning and disinfection of spaces and materials, with special attention to those elements that are for shared or successive use, or that may be touched by different people. At a minimum, all shared use areas should be cleaned and ventilated twice a day.

8. To promote laundering hands, making available to the users of the pool hydro-alcoholic gels or disinfectants with virucide additives “.

9. It is clear to me that community pools, even being part of a residential real estate complex, being a place with the attendance of people among whom the coronavirus can spread, should adopt the following general prevention and hygiene measure: “promote washing of hands, making available to the users of the pool hydro-alcoholic gels or disinfectants with virucide additives”.

Given the very strong advice from our Community lawyer and Administrator, we are urged to start opening the community pools as a matter of urgency.

After a consultation survey sent out to all presidents, the results are as follows:

Therefore, all UGR pools will be opened from Saturday the 27th of June, following the current law.

Please, be conscious of the situation and follow the rules, otherwise the situation could be reverted and the pools could be closed again.

GYM and CHILDREN’S PLAY AREAS

As you know all of these facilities remain closed at the moment. Obviously, it is our intention to have all facilities on the resort open and operational as soon as possible. Having said that it has to be remembered The Community has a responsibility for public safety. So with that in mind and the additional costs which would be incurred in cleaning/disinfecting them at least twice a day, we would suggest that we start with the Pools, monitor them to ensure there is no spread of the Virus and then review the opening of the other facilities as we go.

2020 AGM’s

We still have the outstanding issue of this years AGM’s to deal with. After a consultation survey to the presidents, in which July and December options were presented, the majority preferred holding the AGM’s at the end of the year as July seems a short notice for many owners to organise flights, given not all airlines will be offering a full program by then. In addition, some neighbours would be on quarantine once they gain access within the UK. According to the latest news the coronavirus is still spreading, with new cases reported. For all these reasons, AGM’s are proposed to be held at the end of the year (last week in November-first week of December).

Please remember, though that whilst the lockdown restrictions have been relaxed somewhat, as stated above, the coronavirus is still with us, and there are continuing new cases being reported, so for your own safety and that of the resort, please be careful and conscientious and stay safe.

Kind regards, ADMIBURGOS.