Council to Consider Loosening Restrictions on Organized Sports

The County Council, sitting as the Board of Health, plans to meet this afternoon (March 19) to hold a public hearing and vote on an amended regulation that would loosen restrictions on organized youth sports.

If the regulation is passed, all organized sports, whether played indoors or out, would need to have a COVID protocol plan approved by the county’s health officer (or his designee), according to a press release.

The plan would have to include:

  • Contact tracing with an attendance tracking sheet that must be completed for all activities
  • A requirement that face coverings must be worn per guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics
  • A requirement for social distancing with at least six feet between all participants to the extent possible, and
  • Require the use of a student attestation form or COVID-19 athlete or coach monitoring form at all activities.

Any sports event now being conducted under a previous approval would not need a new plan, provided the event complies with restrictions on the size of the gathering.

In addition, any sports that are not part of an organized league would also have to comply with the current social gathering limits of 50 people outdoors and 25 indoors, as well as using face coverings if social distancing isn’t possible.

If approved, the regulation would go into effect at 5 p.m. Friday, March 19.

Photo: “All Saints Academy Football” by hyku is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

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