Teams focus on basketball not coronavirus as state tournament begins at Tacoma Dome
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Class 4A and 3A boys and girls high school basketball tournaments, which began Wednesday morning in the Tacoma Dome, come on the heels of the state’s recent coronavirus outbreak.
It led some to wonder if the WIAA should just cancel the tournaments across the state — 4A and 3A at the Tacoma Dome, 2A and 1A at the Yakima Valley SunDome and the 2B and 1B tournaments at the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena — but the WIAA stayed the course, announcing Monday the state tournaments would continue as scheduled, despite mounting fears of COVID-19.
“There have been no changes to the schedule of the 2020 WIAA State Basketball Championships in Tacoma, Yakima and Spokane,” the release said. “WIAA Staff is in communication with the Washington State Department of Health and will continue to receive guidance regarding our upcoming events. The safety of participants and fans is the primary focus of our organization, and we encourage those planning to attend to follow the prevention guidelines distributed by the Center for Disease Control.”
The early sentiment among participants on Wednesday morning at the Tacoma Dome — which will draw tens of thousands of spectators over the next four days — was measured caution, but not panic.
“I try not to think about it too much,” said Central Kitsap coach Scott McMinds, whose Cougars played in the opening-round 9 a.m. game. “We’re focused on (winning games) only.”
Central Kitsap sophomore student Aspyn Schuster stood among friends and other Central Kitsap students ready to cheer on her team.
“I read up on it and it says it’s only flu-like symptoms, and if you’re 39 or under, you only have a 0.2 percent chance of actually getting it and you don’t actually die from it,” Schuster said. “I just believe it’s craziness that doesn’t need to take over. … As long as you wash your hands and you’re staying clean and doing everything you need to, I think you’re good.”
The WIAA has been working with arena staff at each of the three sites to disinfect high-touch areas with EPA approved disinfectant. Increased hand sanitizer stations will be made available throughout each site over the four-day tournaments.
“The Washington State Department of Health has encouraged attendees of large events to spread out when possible as an extra preventative measure,” the WIAA said.
McMinds said his team is making sure to use individually labeled water bottles and not share with teammates, as well as properly sanitizing after games, and said he and his team were just happy the tournament went on as planned.
Coronavirus, known as COVID-19, is spread through contact between people within six feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. The CDC says it’s also possible to catch COVID-19 by touching something that has the virus on it, and then touching your own face, “but this is not thought to be the main way the virus spreads.”
Symptoms include fever, cough and shortness of breath, which may occur two days to two weeks after exposure.The disease is especially dangerous for the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
This story was originally published March 4, 2020 at 10:05 AM.
