Fermoy Bridge Club was formed in 1934. The club is somewhat unique among Irish Bridge Clubs in that it owns its own building. The building is old and includes two playing rooms, which can accommodate up to sixty players in each room. The membership is mainly elderly.
The club has about 120 members. (This information was redacted for GDPR purposes)

When the Covid pandemic broke out the Club was quick to realise that it had a duty of care to its members and made the following decisions.

– Committee agreed to follow all HSE Covid-related advice.
-Members advised to follow all HSE vaccination-related advice.
-Covid Officer post created to help advice the committee on Covid-related matters.
-Transparent plastic table partitions, for each table, purchased on advice from CBAI. These-
were later abandoned when the methodology of the Covid virus transmission was more understood.
– Hand sanitisers introduced for each table.
– Club closed during duration of the “lockdown.”
– Medical quality air purifiers purchased for each playing room.
– Members requested not attend the club if they were Covid contacts or had symptoms
suggestive of acute Covid infection.

The air quality in the playing rooms was carefully examined and consultations with air
management companies were obtained. It was advised that the quality of the ventilation in
the playing rooms was poor. This was corrected by keeping the windows open. Old
fireplaces that had been blocked off in the past to prevent draughts had ventilation ducts
installed. The simple expedient of keeping the windows ajar at all times and installing vents
in the blocked off chimneys improved the ventilation, to the extent that previously notes
dampness and musty smelling air reduced considerably.

When the “lockdown” was lifted, the club’s activities gradually returned to normal. There are
three playing sessions per week. The membership numbers dropped post Covid, and a
successful recruitment drive was held to attract new members.

At the club’s 2024 AGM it was decided that the above anti-Covid measures would continue
long-term i.e. the ventilation changes would continue, air purifiers would continue to be used
and members with acute coughs/colds or contacts with winter viruses would continue not to
attend. This is club policy.

We recognise that these measures are equally effective against the common seasonal
viruses, which is an unanticipated benefit of implementing and continuing to adhere to the
above measures.

Obviously, members of the Club have developed Covid, many more than once. However, no
outbreak or cluster of cases has been attributable to attendance at the Club, which justifies
the measures taken.

Author: Joe Moran (retired GP) for Fermoy Bridge Club