HARTFORD, Conn — The Connecticut Department of Public Health is recommending postponing football and girls volleyball at Connecticut schools until the spring.
This comes just a day after the CIAC board of directors voted to move forward with all fall sports seasons.
According to health guidelines, football considered as "higher risk" for COVID transmission.
Girls volleyball was considered a "moderate-risk" sport--however the sport is indoors where infectious droplets is elevated.
The guidelines recommend allowing fall seasons for boys and girls cross country, boys and girls soccer, and girls swimming.
The Department of Public Health recommended postponing the start of the season for those sports, including conditioning and practices, until at least two weeks after the start of in-person learning in schools.
The letter also said, "These recommendations take into account our research and consideration for the risk-benefit of interscholastic athletics to our high school students and their families. DPH will continue to work closely with CAS-CIAC and the Connecticut State Department of Education to support a model for school reopening that we believe will minimize the health and safety risks to our children, school staff, and their families while allowing them to regain their identities as teachers, students, classmates, and athletes.
•For all sports, limit the total number of games, and extent of travel for interscholasticcontests (for example having 12 total games, one home and one away with the six closestschools).
•For all athletics in the 2020 academic year, the use of locker rooms should be limited whenpossible, and strict cleaning and other protocols must be in place to ensure the safety oflocker rooms. Ensure coaches and athletes understand and comply with strict face covering,social distancing, and other controls for each sport prior to the initiation of the season."