04/05/21- Spring Sports Guidance Revision

April 5, 2021 Athletic Department Blog Updates

TEMPERATURE CHECK AT CONTESTS AND PRACTICES
Following consultation with the Kentucky Department for Public Health and in the review of recent guidance and research, the requirement for monitoring the temperatures of attendees at athletic practices and contests has been suspended. While there remain considerable differences between an environment in near-exclusive school-aged student populations and events that gather the community in general, there does not appear to be a significant enough correlation between temperature and the virus to prevent the suspension of the requirement. While many COVID-positive patients do present with a fever, research over these last months is inconclusive as to cause, effect, and spread.

The guidance documents online will be changed in the coming days to reflect this change, but it can be implemented immediately and will mirror recent changes to the overall guidance from the Department of Education in its school day documentation. The references to temperature checks and alternative actions caused by those showing fever will be removed in their entirety.

ATTENDANCE AT CONTESTS
The attendance recommendations remain at 40% of capacity for outdoor interscholastic contests at this time. No adjustment to that recommendation is planned until further review with KDPH officials in the coming weeks after health authorities have monitored the continued spread of variant virus strains and the worrisome impact of spring break travel.

However, in calculating those limitations, it is logical to include only congregated seating in those determinations. For example, in many track and field complexes, as well as baseball and softball stadiums, there are allowances for the placement of fans along fence lines and in parts of the parks that are not directly in bleacher or congregate seating areas. This would be a reasonable adaptation and application of the limits per our conversations with health authorities if those pods of individuals seated in those areas are from the same household and are not co-mingling with groups from other households.

There is no change in the universal masking stipulations.

The guidance documents online will be changed in the coming days to reflect this change, but it can be implemented immediately and will mirror recent changes to the overall guidance from the Department of Education in its school day documentation. The references to temperature checks and alternative actions caused by those showing fever will be removed in their entirety.