New Guidelines For 'Return To Play' After Positive COVID-19 Case

MADISON, CT — Late Friday, schools Superintendent Dr. Crag Cooke laid out the steps a student athlete that tests positive for COVID-19 needs to take to get back in the game.

"Last week the CIAC released new guidance regarding a return to athletics after testing positive for COVID-19. I realize this guidance poses additional challenges for student-athletes and their families but as a CIAC member school we need to comply with these recommendations," Cooke wrote. "While in some cases, this may delay an athlete’s return, in milder cases of COVID-19, it will expedite a return over our procedures in place prior to 2022."

Cooke said that effective Monday, if a student-athlete is diagnosed with COVID-19 at any point during the remainder of the season or is identified as a close contact, these new guidelines will govern the return to play process.

RETURN TO PLAY AFTER A POSITIVE TEST

STEP 1

Student-Athletes are required to have a telemedicine or in-person assessment with a healthcare provider to determine the student's ability to return to competitive sports post a COVID-19 infection. The student-athlete and parent/legal guardian must provide the school with a note from a Healthcare provider confirming the assessment and clearing the student-athlete to return to all athletic activities, including competition. The note can be sent to our head of nursing Stephanie Lesnik RN at lesniks@madison.k12.ct.us

This note should include the following information:
Date of evaluation, date of symptom onset or positive test date, and should incorporate the American Academy of Pediatrics Return to Play protocol. The note should indicate if the student athlete is cleared to return immediately or cleared to begin the Return to Play protocol. Please see a sample note here.

STEP 2

Once the nurse is in receipt of the note, she will contact the parent, trainer, coach, and athletic department notifying them that the athlete is either cleared to return following isolation or cleared to begin the Return to Play protocol with the athletic trainer. It is the student's responsibility to meet with the athletic trainer or Polson school nurse to review the Return to Play protocol.

The Return to Play protocol (Page 8) may take 1 to 7 days depending on the severity of the case of COVID-19 and the physician’s orders. The Return to Play protocol will begin after the infectious period is over. The trainer (or in the case of a middle school athlete, the school nurse) will communicate with the student-athlete and the coaches the status of their return to practices and competition. The trainer will release the athlete to participate in practice/competitions when deemed appropriate.

RETURN TO PLAY AS A CLOSE CONTACT

Those who are not fully vaccinated must quarantine away from athletic activities for a full 5 days. On Day 5 of quarantine, the student-athlete is recommended to test to return to play. If the test is negative and the student is without symptoms they may return to play on day 6. If the test is positive they must continue to isolate through day 10. The CIAC strongly recommends that student athletes wear a mask for a full 10 days following isolation and not to engage in athletic activities within 6 feet of others during which wearing a mask is not advised due to safety reasons.