Coronavirus CT: Health Officials Issue New Guidance For Sports

CONNECTICUT — In an attempt to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the state at a time when infections are escalating to levels not seen since June, Gov. Ned Lamont announced a crackdown on COVID-risky sports activities.

"We've seen a lot of infections in and around sports," Lamont said during a news conference Thursday.

Acting Department of Public Health Commissioner Diedre Gifford said her agency has tracked outbreaks in some towns back to sports.

"It's a real struggle for local health departments," Gifford said.

The contact tracing surrounding high schools athletes who play against other area teams, let alone those on travel teams, is very "challenging and time-consuming," she said.

"It's beginning to impact the ability of some schools to remain open," as so many students, and teacher-coaches, are being asked to quarantine, according to Gifford.

Lamont said health officials were also having a hard time with some teams not cooperating with the state's track-and-trace program, not divulging the names of the players on their rosters.

The new restrictions and recommendations are a function of a sport's infection risk. The DPH is taking its cues for whether pole vaulting is COVID-riskier than competitive cheer or golf from the National Federation of State High School Associations Sports Medicine Advisory Committee.

There will be no high-risk sports games played by any K-12 Connecticut team through the remainder of 2020, Lamont said. Additionally, no Connecticut venue may host competitions or tournaments for high or medium risk sports. No local team may travel out-of-state to play a sport. Players of any moderate-risk indoor sport must wear a mask.

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Sports venues are affected by the new guidelines as well. The state is requiring that all facilities and leagues adopt safety protocols for both teams and spectators.

In addition to classifying the sports by the infection risks of playing them, the health officials have also taken into consideration the activities that surround them. These they have divided into the following activities (listed in order of risk):

• Tier 1: Individual one-to-one training, Small group aerobic conditioning, Small group sport-specific non-contact skill development drills
• Tier 2: Team practices, Intra-squad scrimmages
• Tier 3: Interscholastic or in-state contests, meets, or tournaments
• Tier 4: Interscholastic or other contests between teams from different states

The Advisory Committee recommended how the different tiers of activity should be handled by the leagues:

In all cases, indoor activities should be limited to group sizes of 10 or less with appropriate, officials recommend. Masks should be worn, if practical, and social distancing should be practices.

Along with all their "don't's" the DPH is also offering some proactive strategies they say can mitigate the spread of the virus:

• Moving indoor activities outdoors and keeping individuals in small cohorts
• Increasing and maintaining the distance between participants
• Implementing rule changes that reduce the number, frequency, duration, and/or exertional level of person-to-person physical contact
• Limiting the sharing of equipment without appropriate cleaning and disinfection
• Adding face covering masks that completely cover the nose and mouth to the required equipment for players and coaches

For more on the revised sports guidance, see the DPH's website.