State Recommends Canceling Some School Sports Due To Coronavirus

HUDSON VALLEY, NY — The New York State Education Department issued a set of recommendations Thursday for public schools gearing up for the 2021-22 school year, just as the coronavirus is on the upswing again.

Of interest to many school districts was guidance about whether sports and activities should take place in the fall in some areas of the state.

Education Commissioner Betty A. Rosa said the recommendations — including wearing masks, vaccinations, physical distancing, screening tests and hygiene — are based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"This guide describes a range of strategies that schools and districts should consider to be best situated to manage the risks for students and staff from COVID-19 while supporting robust and engaging learning experience for students," Rosa wrote in an opening message.

"It provides recommendations based on the best health and safety information currently available and is a living document that will be updated as public health conditions change," she said.

The education department said that both it and the CDC recognize the value of school-sponsored sports and extracurricular activities for students.

The recommendations from the state regarding sports include having students refrain from such activities when they have symptoms consistent with coronavirus and using COVID-19 screening tests for student athletes, students participating in extracurricular activities or other activities with elevated risk, as well as adult coaches, teachers and advisors, who are not fully vaccinated.

That, the state said, will facilitate safe participation and reduce risk of virus transmission.

Also recommended is the cancellation of high-risk sports and extracurricular activities in areas of high community transmission unless all participants are fully vaccinated. The state offered the option of doing the activities virtually if in-person was canceled.

Coaches and sports administrators were advised to take into consideration specific sport-related risk factors, such as whether the sport is played outdoors or indoors, how close the athletes would be physically, the number of people, the intensity level of the activity and how long the activity will take.

In the Hudson Valley, as of Friday, the CDC said Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties are considered to have a "high" level of community transmission.

Columbia County is considered to have a "moderate" transmission level.

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association posted on Twitter that it had received the education department's health and safety guide for the upcoming year.

"We encourage our member schools to utilize this document and consult with local health departments as they plan for the 2021-22 fall interscholastic athletic season scheduled to begin on August 23rd," the tweet said.

"NYSPHSAA will continue working with state officials to ensure student athletes have a safe and successful academic and athletic school year," association officials said.

Dr. Joseph Ricca, the superintendent of the White Plains school district, had previously announced the decision for masks to be required for all teachers, staff and students while in district facilities and on district transportation.

He told Patch Friday that the district is planning, at present, for the full athletic calendar and the decision is not predicated on the vaccination status of students and staff.

"Of course, we will continue to monitor, assess and implement requirements as needed based on the health/safety landscape," Ricca said.

In Ossining, Superintendent Ray Sanchez told Patch he has just received the state's guidance.

"We intend to work with our local Health Department and our Athletic Department to determine our best next steps," he said.

"However, I am certain that the Health and Safety of our children will remain our focus," Sanchez said.

In the Lakeland school district, the Reentry Team will meet Monday to discuss and determine the health and safety protocols for the schools, according to Superintendent Dr. Brendan Lyons, who added there are no final decisions as yet.

"We will review all guidance, including NYSED recommendations and Section 1 direction for athletes, in order to determine the best course of action to keep our students learning in school each day," he told Patch.

Assemblyman Colin Schmitt, R-New Windsor, said he was "vigorously opposed" to the new guidance from the state regarding playing high-risk sports in areas of high community transmission.

In a news release Friday, he said he will introduce legislation barring the education department from issuing guidance that recommends canceling sports activities in certain counties.

"It is safe to play all interscholastic sports and teams have the ability to do so following proper safety protocols," Schmitt said. "The state needs to get out of the way and let them play."

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