COLUMBUS, Ohio — Columbus City Schools (CCS) student-athletes will be able to play sports this winter despite the extended stay-at-home advisory.
Franklin County health leaders are asking people to stay home unless necessary until Feb. 6, marking the third time it was extended. It's all to stop the spread of COVID-19.
On Friday, a CCS spokesperson told 10TV the district will continue with in-person athletics and student activities.
"The superintendent is confident in the multi-layered health protocols and safety procedures already in place to protect our student-athletes, coaches and staff thus to move forward with student activities," the district said in a statement.
The district's safety guidelines are outlined here, but these are the highlights:
- All coaches must wear face coverings at all times
- All players must wear face coverings when not actively participating in game competition
- Six-feet social distance must be maintained between individuals except when actively participating
- Upon arrival, all coaches and students must wash their hands for 20 seconds with warm water and soap before touching any surfaces or participating in workouts or use sanitizer
- If a student is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, student-athletes should wait until 14 days of symptom monitoring have passed since they would not be able to social distance or wear a mask during active practice or play
- CCS home athletic contests will commence without spectators
The district said school leaders will continue to work with Columbus Public Health to monitor the virus and will update families if further action is needed.
CCS initially suspended athletics and other activities when health officials first issued the stay-at-home advisory in November.
CCS said other activities, such as musical theater and show choir, will be allowed to start after Feb. 3
.