WA revamps COVID safety rules for schools’ indoor, high-contact sports after outbreaks
Following a multi-county COVID-19 outbreak tied to recent high school wrestling tournaments, the state Department of Health on Friday issued new safety guidance for high-contact indoor sports, emphasizing more testing.
In its announcement, DOH said it was adding the following changes to state requirements for all indoor, high-contact sports and activities, including basketball, wrestling, water polo and competitive cheer, effective immediately:
▪ Required testing of all athletes, coaches, trainers and support personnel, regardless of vaccination status.
▪ Increased testing frequency to three times per week. Among those screening tests, at least one must occur no sooner than the day before the competition; ideally, and whenever possible, the day of the event.
The action came after an estimated 200 COVID-19 cases were linked to a series of South Sound wrestling tournaments held in early December in Lacey, Sumner, Puyallup and Yelm.
On Dec. 15, state DOH said three of the cases were diagnosed as the Omicron variant, a highly contagious strain, leading to the latest updates of the state’s health and safety requirements for high-contact indoor sports.
DOH on Friday also reminded participants and attendees of K-12 sports events that all indoor spectators must wear masks and should try to observe social distancing as much as possible.
Additionally, “Mask wearing is required among all athletes, coaches, trainers, and support personnel in indoor public spaces except when actively competing. Referees must wear masks except when actively officiated and running.”
On Dec. 15, health officials noted that videos and photos of the December events showed patrons crowded inside facilities not following COVID safety protocols.
“There were a ton of people in indoor spaces, crowded into bleachers not wearing masks. So I can say clearly: No, guidance was not being followed,”Dr. Scott Lindquist, state epidemiologist for communicable diseases, told reporters Dec. 15.
Fears of an explosion of Omicron cases followed the outbreak report. Washington so far has reported 13 Omicron cases, including the three from the tournaments.
DOH on Friday said it’s possible some local events might be postponed or canceled as a result of the wrestling cases at the discretion of local officials.
“There may be differences in how these activities are handled, so we would encourage people to be patient with any potential process or scheduling changes at the local level,” DOH said Friday.
“Omicron is a game-changer, but we know layered prevention measures slow the spread of COVID-19 in sports, schools, and communities.” said Lacy Fehrenbach, Deputy Secretary for the COVID-19 response, in Friday’s update. “Please get vaccinated, boosted, wear a well-fitting mask, and maintain your distance to help our kids stay healthy, stay in the game, and stay in school.”
This story was originally published December 17, 2021 at 10:02 AM.
