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Following Friday’s press conference, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released its Interim Guidance for Contact Sports the next day. The document stops short of saying sports are the cause of increased transmission among the 10-19 year old age group. It notes that there has been a 105 percent increase of COVID in youth, with 135 outbreaks linked to teams. “The social activities surrounding sports, such as team meals and parties, may be a major factor in this spread” more so than what happens on the court or at the rink.
Student athletes 13-19 years old are required to be tested up to three times per week. If an antigen test comes back positive, MDHHS recommends a PCR test within 48 hours. Any player who has had COVID within the last three months does not have to test because they will still receive a positive result post-recovery.
Masking remains a requirement, including in between practice drills. Any unmasked athletic contests can only take place if athletes avoid non-team social settings for two weeks before and after the match. The document does not lay out who is responsible for the cost associated with the heightened testing regimen.
The full document is available here.
