COLUMBUS — Ohio will have fall high school sports even as the battle against COVID-19 goes on, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday afternoon.
“All sports may go forward this fall, contact and non-contact,” the governor said, admitting he was addressing a “much anticipated subject by many people throughout the state.”
DeWine said he would be issuing orders that impacted all sports in the state, not just those involving the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
Spectators will be limited to family members and those “close to the athletes,” DeWine said, adding schools would determine how to determine crowds. He said family members of marching bands, drill teams, etc. could also attend.
He cautioned participation in sports, particularly contact sports, raises the risk of spreading coronavirus, just as does the return to school.
“Our hope is that the desire to have a season will inspire our young people, our athletes, our student-athletes, 24/7, to be as careful as they can,” DeWine said.
“I hope also our coaches will use this as opportunity to focus on helping these young people understand what really is at stake. If they are going to be playing, they are going to have to do everything they can to keep COVID out of their team,” the governor said. “The caveat, as always, is it depends on how it’s executed.
“We’re gonna see how it goes. If it doesn’t work, schools are going to know that pretty quick. Coaches will know that pretty quick. We would just ask they work with local health departments to make good decisions.”
DeWine said schools would not be required to test athletes before competitions, which was part of previous orders about sports.
Some high school sports have already begun. High school soccer is scheduled to start its season Friday and football on Aug. 28.
The OHSAA has announced a six-week schedule with all teams eligible for postseason competition.
DeWine said his administration had spoken to parents, athletes, coaches, doctors and other medical experts in shaping his order and accompanying guidance.
He said the more the virus has spread into a community will impact the spread in that community’s schools and athletics.
“On the other hand, we all know the importance of sports. We have seen it with our children and our grandchildren. Sports matters and it makes a difference.
“Sports is about a lot of things. One of those things is hope. But hope itself is not a plan, it’s not a strategy,” the governor said. “We should all have a plan.
“Any decision about playing or not playing sports cannot be made in a vacuum. If not playing, these young people will be doing something else with their time. We have to keep that in mind.”
DeWine said schools that chose to move their fall sports seasons to the spring could exercise that option. He cited a number of urban school districts that have already cancelled fall sports could try competing in the spring if they chose.
The governor said the statewide positivity rate for COVID-19 tests has dipped below 5 percent, though he noted the top 10 counties per capita are all now more rural counties around the state.
In the last 24 hours, the Ohio Dept. of Health website reported 861 new positive COVID-19 tests, 255 below the 21-day average of 1,116.
The state also reported 39 deaths in the last 24 hours, 16 above the 21-day average; 117 hospitalizations, 21 above the average; and 19 admissions to ICUs, four above the state average.
According to ODH, Richland County recorded five new positive tests since Monday, raising the total to 657 since the pandemic began. One new hospitalization was reported, raising the total to 90. There have been 530 presumed recoveries in the county, according to ODH, up 22 from Monday.
