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Archive for the ‘coronavirus updates’ Category

Washington state puts Phase 4 on ice

Posted in coronavirus updates, tagged , , , , on June 27, 2020| Leave a Comment »

The return of Friday Night Lights could be a ways away. (Katy Wells photo)

Island County is in Phase 3 of Washington state’s four-phase COVID-19 reopening plan.

But it won’t be going to Phase 4 any time soon.

And, for that matter, neither will any other counties.

The Washington State Department of Health issued a press release Saturday announcing a “pause on counties moving to Phase 4.”

“Phase 4 would mean a return to normal activity and we can’t do that now due to the continued rise in cases across the state,” Washington state Governor Jay Inslee said in the press release.

“We all want to get back to doing all the things we love in Washington during the summer, and fully open our economy, but we aren’t there yet.

“This is an evolving situation and we will continue to make decisions based on the data.”

State Secretary of Health John Weisman issued the following letter:

 

Dear Local and Tribal Health Leaders,

I am writing to let you know Governor Inslee and I have decided to pause progression to Phase 4 statewide. 

We decided to prohibit any counties from moving into phase 4 at this time due to increasing COVID-19 activity across the state and significant rebounds in COVID-19 activity in several other states.

The changes between Phase 3 and Phase 4, especially with regards to gathering size and occupancy rates, could further increase the spread of COVID-19 in our state, even in communities that have very low rates of disease.

The progress we’ve made thus far is at risk, therefore we are making the prudent choice to slow down our phased approach to reopening.

In the next couple of weeks, I will work with Governor Inslee and his team to assess the need for a modified approach for moving beyond Phase 3.

I will communicate that decision to you when we have more information.

Counties that are currently able to apply to move from Phase 1 or 2 are still able to apply when eligible.

Thank you for your continued work to protect the health of Washingtonians during this unprecedented time.

 

For those looking at this from a sports perspective, current Washington Interscholastic Activities Association guidelines state “low risk” sports, such as cross country and swimming, can begin competition in Phase 3.

“Moderate risk” sports, such as volleyball, basketball, and soccer, can begin games when a county is in Phase 4.

Three “high risk” sports — football, wrestling, and competitive cheer — have no current timeline for when games will be allowed to restart.

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Some guidance, some questions

Posted in coronavirus updates, tagged , , , , on June 22, 2020| Leave a Comment »

If school sports return this fall, team water bottles will not. (David Stern photo)

No players sitting on benches.

No handshakes or fist bumps, before, during, or after games.

No endless soccer introductions with each player, starter or reserve, running out onto the field.

Some schools needing to use multiple buses to transport teams to games, with athletes and coaches spaced out between seats, wearing face masks, with bus windows open.

And that’s the positive version of where prep sports in Washington state could be this fall.

In the negative version, there simply are no games played whatsoever, a remix of what happened this spring as the world deals with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

While Island County recently entered Phase 3 of Governor Jay Inslee’s four-part plan to reopen the state, Washington is one of 23 states currently experiencing a rise in coronavirus cases.

The hardest-hit area in our state is Yakima County, which is home to many prep sports state championship events.

As it looks ahead to late August/early September, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association has stated it “intends to conduct all scheduled fall athletics/activities that are approved by the Department of Health.”

That includes operating at less than full capacity, if need be.

“Although not ideal, the WIAA intends to conduct a regular season and/or championships even if all schools are not able to participate,” the governing group said in an earlier release.

But then, we jump to today, and the WIAA issued its most-detailed guidelines yet for how state schools, public and private, should handle spring and summer practices, and competitions, if they return in the fall.

Included is the statement “when a school, schools, or district are closed due to COVID-19, all training, practice, and contests for the school(s) or district should also be canceled.”

These new guidelines cover a general approach, as well as offer specific advice for all but one of the fall sports normally played by Coupeville athletes.

Football, volleyball, cross country, soccer, and cheer are represented, but no individual guidelines were issued for tennis.

Also included are guidelines for swim/dive, dance/drill, and slowpitch softball, which some schools traditionally play in the fall.

CHS plays fastpitch softball, which operates in the spring.

Instead of writing 10,000 words about the guidelines, I’ll offer you links for ones which affect Coupeville, so you can pick and choose what you want to investigate.

As you do, keep in mind, everything is in flux, and no one knows where we will be in 2-3 months time.

That point is driven home by the WIAA not including the answer to one major question in Monday’s guidelines — when will “high risk” sports be allowed to play games?

“Lower risk” sports such as cross country can resume competitions in Phase 3, and “moderate risk” sports such as basketball and volleyball can play in Phase 4.

But “high risk” sports, those which “involve close, sustained contact between participants, lack of significant protective barriers, and high probability that respiratory particles will be transmitted between participants,” have no start date yet for games.

That covers football, wrestling, and competitive cheer.

The website SB Live Washington quoted WIAA spokesperson Casey Johnson in its report.

“We’re still waiting for some more information,” Johnson said. “Right now, obviously no counties are in phase four. It’s one of those things specifically that we’re going to wait and see how things develop before addressing.”

 

Fall Guidelines Overview:

Click to access COVID19Guidance.pdf

 

Cheer:

Click to access Cheerleading.pdf

 

Cross Country:

Click to access CrossCountry.pdf

 

Football:

Click to access Football.pdf

 

Soccer:

Click to access Soccer.pdf

 

Volleyball:

Click to access Volleyball.pdf

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One Island, one plan

Posted in coronavirus updates, tagged , , , , on June 20, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Coupeville HS/MS Athletic Director Willie Smith. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Three working as one.

The Athletic Directors at Whidbey Island’s high schools have united to guide their schools through spring sports practices as everyone deals with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Willie Smith (Coupeville), Jerrod Fleury (Oak Harbor), and Paul Lagerstadt (South Whidbey) have done so with the intention all Wolf, Wildcat, and Falcon athletes and coaches will work off the same directives.

The first practices were held while Island County was in Phase Two of Washington State Governor Jay Inslee’s Reopening Plan.

With the move to Phase Three a few days ago, things will continue to be opened up, as long as guidelines are met.

As they make plans, the trio of athletic directors have been working with guidance from the National Federation of High Schools, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, and the Island County Health Department.

With the county moving to Phase Three, practices, which had been limited to five individuals at one site, can now include 10 participants (athletes and coaches) in each indoor space, or 50 individuals outdoors.

If practicing outdoors, workouts must be conducted in “pods” comprised of no more than 20 athletes.

All participants are required to maintain a six-foot distance from each other at all times, and it is “highly recommended coaches and athletes wear cloth face coverings, if social distancing is not able to be maintained.”

Locker rooms and meeting rooms are not allowed to be used, there should be no shared athletic apparel or shared hydration, and all athletic equipment must be cleaned intermittently during practices.

The return to practices covers “lower risk” or “modified risk” sports which can be done with social distancing, done individually, or with no sharing of equipment, or the ability to clean equipment.

“Lower risk” sports are identified as individual running events, individual swimming, golf, sideline cheer, and cross country running.

“Modified risk” sports include basketball, volleyball, baseball, softball, soccer, tennis, and 7-on-7 football.

Weight training is also allowed, with a limit of 10 participants (coaches and athletes) allowed in the room at one time.

Social distancing must be maintained, with lifters separated (i.e. every other cage), while spotters must wear masks.

Weight equipment has to be wiped down thoroughly before and after each individual’s use of equipment and maximum lifts should be limited.

The AD’s plan includes vigorous attention to sanitization.

Prior to an individual or group entering a facility, touch points/hard surfaces within that facility must be wiped down and sanitized.

This includes things such as door handles, weight room equipment, and bathrooms.

Athletes are instructed to provide their own workout gear, encouraged to shower (at home) and wash their clothing after each workout, and must wash their hands for a minimum of 20 seconds with warm water and soap before participating in workouts.

To be able to practice, Coupeville athletes are required to provide a new note from their parent or guardian each day stating they have a normal temperature and are OK to practice.

Coaches will maintain files with these notes, and the responses to screening questions for each participant, in the case an athlete tests positive for COVID-19.

If an athlete or coach has positive symptoms, they will not be allowed to participate in workouts.

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Fate of fall sports still in flux

Posted in coronavirus updates, tagged , , , , on June 12, 2020| Leave a Comment »

Will fall sports happen in Washington state schools? No one knows for sure. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Hope for the best, plan for the worst.

As Washington state deals with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Schools Superintendent Chris Reykdal said Thursday he expects “school districts to reopen buildings and return to in-person learning next school year, as long as public health guidelines allow them to do so.”

That plan, the most optimistic of options offered, would still include all students wearing face coverings.

Also, desks will be spaced six feet apart, students may attend class in gyms or lunch rooms, and schools will have to screen students and staff for coronavirus symptoms before they enter school buildings.

Just as likely, students will be sent back to on-line, or some combination of on-line and in-person learning, especially in areas where there are substantial spikes of the coronavirus.

New, positive cases of the virus are up 20% statewide since Memorial Day, as cities reopen from the initial shutdown.

While Island County has seen no new reported cases in weeks, Eastern Washington is a completely different case.

Yakima County has a 61% increase in positive cases since Memorial Day, while Spokane (49%), Benton (39%), and Clark (39%) are also substantially up.

No official decision has been made on whether schools will return to sports competition in the fall, but it seems increasingly likely there may not be one plan used for the entire state.

Instead, each district, and the leagues and schools inside that district, may operate on their own.

The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, which governs public and private school sports in the state, is working on creating return-to-play guidelines on a sport-by-sport basis.

In a statement released after its June 7 meeting, the WIAA Executive Board said, “As we navigate return-to-play, schools in different regions of the state will inevitably be operating under circumstances and safety protocols unique to their area.

“The Executive Board determined that the primary mission of the WIAA is to provide opportunities in education-based athletics and activities.

“Participation in extracurricular sports and activities is a critical part of the high school experience and, sadly, that has never been more evident than when those opportunities were taken away this spring by COVID-19.

“The WIAA Executive Board and staff recognize that participation will need to take place in a setting that does not jeopardize the health and well-being of students or their communities, which is why we will continue to think creatively as an organization while also working with health officials at the state level.

“We encourage each district and league to work together to answer these questions at the local level as well. While WIAA staff will be available to support member schools in any way we can, each league has the autonomy to develop policies and contingency plans that represent their communities.”

Four questions answered in the statement:

 

**Will the WIAA conduct an athletics/activities regular season or championship if schools statewide are closed to in-person learning (apart from regularly scheduled school breaks)?

Though many large schools and urban schools may only have distance learning, the WIAA intends to conduct a regular season and/or championships assuming the Department of Health supports the recommendation.

At this time, the WIAA plans to begin the fall season as scheduled but is also examining a delayed start of September 7, 2020 (September 5 for football) as its primary contingency option.

 

**Will the WIAA conduct an athletics/activities regular season or championship if schools are closed only in COVID-19 “hotspots” in Washington (excluding participants from schools that are closed)?

Although not ideal, the WIAA intends to conduct a regular season and/or championships even if all schools are not able to participate.

 

**Will the WIAA conduct an athletics/activities regular season in sports deemed “lower-risk” for COVID-19 transmission while cancelling athletics/activities considered “higher-risk?”

The WIAA intends to conduct all scheduled fall athletics/activities that are approved by the DOH.

 

**Are there recommendations unique to Washington that we need to take into consideration when developing our 2020-2021 plans? This could include modified seasons, modified rules, etc.

The WIAA intends to commence sport/activity-specific work groups to recommend and evaluate modifications to rules. It is also recommended the Executive Board prioritize modified season options and determine decision deadlines.

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CHS athletes return to (limited) action

Posted in coronavirus updates, Everything changes, tagged , , , , on June 3, 2020| Leave a Comment »

After extensive planning, CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith has set up a plan for Wolf athletes to conduct spring practices. (Photo by JohnsPhotos.net)

Practice?

We’re talking about practice.

With the stay at home order lifted and Island County in Phase Two of Washington state’s plan for reopening during the COVID-19 pandemic, Coupeville High School athletes will return to action.

Just with a lot of restrictions and no games.

CHS Athletic Director Willie Smith has been a busy man of late, combing through the various guidelines set down by Governor Jay Inslee and his staff, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association, and the National Federation of State High School Associations.

After taking everything into consideration, Smith has established a plan for spring practices, and cleared that plan with the Island County Health Department.

Now, CHS coaches will contact their athletes to set up practice times and sites, and the information will be posted on the school’s website.

What we know:

*No practices/workouts are allowed on Coupeville School District property through June 19, since all state schools remain closed through the end of the school year.

*Coaches are allowed to work with no more than five students per week, and it must be the same students the entire week, with no swapping of coaches or students.

Students/coaches can rotate once a new week starts, but that new group must remain consistent for the remainder of the new week.

*Students may only practice with one sport per week.

*Only five students are allowed on site at one time. Coaches can not have different groups of students gathered at the same facility at the same time.

*For sports such as basketball, each student will have their own ball to use, and there will be no sharing of balls.

*Students may not share water bottles, clothing, shoes, or similar items, and social distancing rules need to be followed.

*CHS will require a signed note from a parent/guardian each day a student is practicing, stating that their child’s temperature has been checked that morning and it is normal.

These notes have to be kept in a folder and with the coach at all times.

If a student does not have a signed note they may not participate that day.

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