AHSAA/ADPH update regarding attendance at winter sports contests

Savarese urges education leaders to follow latest guidelines for COVID-19 safety for indoor winter sports

AHSAA.com
Posted 1/1/21

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Due to the recent sharp increase in prevalence of COVID-19 in our state, we eagerly share the following measures recommended by Dr. Scott Harris, State Health Officer, Alabama …

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AHSAA/ADPH update regarding attendance at winter sports contests

Savarese urges education leaders to follow latest guidelines for COVID-19 safety for indoor winter sports

Posted

MONTGOMERY, Ala. - Due to the recent sharp increase in prevalence of COVID-19 in our state, we eagerly share the following measures recommended by Dr. Scott Harris, State Health Officer, Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH):

For indoor sports, to help facilitate social distancing, and to reduce the potential exposure to COVID-19 by large numbers of people, the total number of spectators be limited to less than 20 percent of usual occupancy.

In any sport where there is hand to hand contact, or hand contact with a shared object such as a ball, players and officials sanitize their hands each time they enter and leave the court or area of active play.

Hosting schools make a public announcement at the beginning of each game, and during intermissions, reminding all spectators to maintain at least 6 feet of distance between themselves and persons not in their household, and to keep their face coverings or masks on at all times while in the athletic venue.

For sports tournaments involving multiple teams and games, schedule and organize the events such that mingling of spectators with teams not actively engaged in competition is avoided.

Encourage players, their families, and their coaches to refrain from organizing non-sport related social activities which increase the risk for transmission and may jeopardize sport participation.

If a sporting event participant or official is diagnosed with COVID-19 within two days after an event, the opposite team and officials be contacted to determine the need for quarantine among individuals in that group.

Additionally, the Department requests our athletic associations encourage and empower sporting event officials to delay the start of an event or suspend competition whenever spectators are not complying with social distancing guidelines or proper wearing of face coverings or masks.

Complete letter from Dr. Harris and more may be found at AHSAA.com -

- See RELATED LINKS THROUGH THE AHSAA.com link BELOW 

- The ADPH also reiterates the importance of continued compliance with paragraph 11 of the current Safer at Home Order

- Also see the Department’s “Guidelines for Adult and Youth Athletic Activities”

The AHSAA expectation has been and continues to be that member schools comply with current ADPH recommendations and guidelines, and the State Health Order. We greatly appreciate your compliance with the aforementioned health recommendations thus providing a safe environment for all in attendance at winter sport atheltic events. The AHSAA is very grateful for Dr. Harris and Dr. Eric Mackey, State Superintendent (ALSDE) and their staffs for their continued support and guidance to the AHSAA and member schools.