(The information below has been emailed to GLBC members and is re-published here for non-members and/or other interested parties.)

A recent special meeting of the Great Lakes Bridge Club (GLBC) committee members and directors reviewed Federal, State and Local Government COVID-19 regulations with an eye to re-opening our club for duplicate bridge games. Unfortunately, after much discussion, it was agreed that the GLBC is unable to comply with all of the current regulations.

With apologies to those who have already read the latest ABF newsletter, excerpts are reprinted below for our GLBC members. We hope everyone remains safe, healthy and connected in these unusual times, and we look forward to seeing everyone back in our clubhouse soon...

"The literally million-dollar question is when will bridge clubs be opening again? The next couple of months will be critical for the Government’s three-step roadmap to creating a COVID Safe Australia or will we get a second wave as the restrictions are progressively lifted. 

Unfortunately, we have no information at this stage regarding our club reopening. We'll keep you posted... In the meantime, as per our previous article regarding playing bridge during the current COVID-19 shutdowns, there are several online avenues to access.

Congratulations to all of our recently promoted members listed below. For information about ABF ranks, click here. Also, congratulations to our club’s top 50 most improved players (as at 31 March 2020).

Well, actual "touch" is out of the question for a while, but maybe ring a friend or bridge club member to pass the time? Our last article addressed two important roles of our bridge club i.e. playing and learning bridge. But while we are asked to stay at home, let's not forget another very valuable aspect that our club is renowned for - the social one!

Our GLBC members are no doubt among the 37,000 Australian Bridge Federation (ABF) registered bridge players and thousands of others Australia-wide who are sorely missing their club bridge games in these difficult times. With thanks to the ABF’s March 2020 Marketing Bulletin (and apologies to those of us who have received and read this), below are some great suggestions to check out (click on the blue links for more information):

Online Bridge

Due to further restrictions regarding social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic, we can no longer open the clubhouse, including for borrowing books etc. Please contact Nikki if you wish to purchase eggs, she may be able to assist you with a delivery option.

Please stay at home and stay well...

Due to COVID-19 and upon the recommendation of the Australian Bridge Federation (ABF) and the NSW Bridge Association (NSWBA), we will be closing the GLBC from Tuesday 17 March 2020 until further notice. We ask that you contact members who you believe are unlikely to view this online noticifation to let them know of the closure.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a severe acute respiratory syndrome which is highly infectious. Our committee has put important COVID-19 protocols in place for all members and visitors to observe, as follows:

Have you noticed the extra tab on our GLBC website? Right after the ‘Results’ tab above, you’ll find the new ‘Entry’ tab. As an alternative (but not a replacement) to written entries in the folders at the back of the clubhouse, members can now choose to enter online. This facility is particularly important for teams, Swiss pairs and 2-week events where registration is essential for preparation.  You can do this at 10pm on Sunday...not wait until the next day then forget!