In Clinton Co., no high-risk sports without in-person learning

PLATTSBURGH | The Clinton County Health Department will not allow any school to start participating in high-risk sports if they have not been offering in-person learning for two weeks. The County announced their decision in a Jan. 29 mid-day press release, stating, "school districts will be required to be offering in-person instruction for two weeks before a final decision on high-risk sports will be made. During these two weeks, CCHD and school district leaders will be closely monitoring infection rates, case patterns, and evidence of new virus variants in Clinton County." According to senior public health educator Molly Flynn, schools must at least be offering a hybrid learning model that offers some level of in-person instruction to students for the two weeks to qualify to receive a further decision from the county. "The most important step forward for our students right now is returning to in-person instruction," said Clinton County Director of Public Health John Kanoza. "We need to get our kids back in school without any major disruptions to learning due to COVID-19 cases before we add high-risk sports into the mix." In their decision, Clinton County officials said no spectators will be allowed entry to any high-risk sporting event, and multi-team events or tournaments will not be permitted. Schools will also only be allowed to travel to events with Clinton, Franklin, and Essex counties. The county outlined other minimum requirements for a return to high-risk K-12 sports, including each school board approving a participation plan in each specific sport; superintendents overseeing the creation of a sport-specific preparedness plan that is also approved by the district medical director; parent/guardian signed consent; student medical clearance for health care provider; each parent/guardian, student-athlete, and school official agreeing to fully cooperate with case investigations and contact elicitation and to adhere to isolation and quarantine orders; and establishing a confidential phone number and email address to allow student-athletes, parents, or others to report concerns and complaints. Like other local counties, Clinton County also stated that for higher-risk sports to proceed, the seven-day rolling average percent positivity must remain at or below four percent, hospital capacity in the region must be above 15 percent, and the region's rate of hospitalizations cannot be unacceptably high. If a school moves forward and gets permission to begin high-risk sport participation, Kanoza said they could still be restricted if data indicated otherwise. "We have been working with school superintendents and other local health departments in our region to develop this framework we believe to be safe and fair," he said. "If the addition of high-risk sports hinders a school's ability to offer in-person instruction to their students, school-sponsored sports will be suspended." Asking for patience Kanoza said the county had been working with Section VII and county school districts throughout the week in coming up with their plan. "We are hopeful for a successful return to in-person learning in the coming weeks and ask for patience and understanding as high-risk sports are folded in," he said. "The health, safety, and education of our students must remain the driving force behind many decisions made." High-risk sports include the winter sports of basketball, ice hockey, wrestling, and competitive cheerleading, as well as the Fall II sports of football and volleyball, set to begin March 1 according to guidance from the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA). Lacrosse, a spring sport, is also considered high risk.

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In Clinton Co., no high-risk sports without in-person learning

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