The Los Angeles Department of Public Health (Public Health) reported a modification to youth sports testing requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated athletes, staff, coaches and volunteers. Public Health is recommending weekly testing for unvaccinated participants in youth sports. These are some of the guidelines that will apply to teams and sport activities based in Los Angeles County:
*Indoor Moderate or High Risk Sports for children of all ages, staff, coaches and volunteers. A weekly negative test result is required for all participants who are not fully vaccinated, including children who are playing, staff, coaches, and volunteers; weekly school testing fulfills this obligation.
*Outdoor Moderate or High Risk Sports for youth 12 and older, staff, coaches and volunteers. A weekly negative test result is required for all participants 12 and older who are not fully vaccinated, including children who are playing, staff, coaches, and volunteers; weekly school testing fulfills this obligation.
*No screening testing required for children under 12 playing Outdoor Sports; weekly school testing fulfills this recommendation.
*Fully vaccinated youth participating in outdoor sports are not required to test weekly unless there is a positive case among players, coaches and/or staff. If there is a positive case, all players, coaches, staff and volunteers (regardless of vaccination status) are required to have a weekly negative test result for two weeks from exposure to the case and must test negative prior to competitions.
You can find more information about sports guidelines in L.A. County at: http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/
“We are grateful to the schools, districts, youth sport programs and parents who have worked so hard in ensuring the safety of students, teachers, athletes, and the many staff,” said Barbara Ferrer, PhD, MPH, MEd, Director of Public Health.
She continued, “It is very important for anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 to isolate from others and that masks are worn properly in all indoor settings, which includes spectators, coaches, and employees of youth sports regardless of vaccination status.
“The best protection for all student athletes 12 years and over, and for all coaches and team staff is to get vaccinated.”
As of Monday, August 30, Public Health reported six new deaths and stated 2,339 new cases of COVID-19. There were 1,687 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 with 16% of nearly 8,110,000 individuals testing positive with symptoms.
Public Health identified 1,405,387 positive cases of COVID-19 across all areas of L.A. County and a total of 25,251 deaths. Cases across the Southland: Los Angeles County shows 1,332,033 cases, Long Beach with 60,683 cases and Pasadena with 12,671 cases.
According to race and ethnicity, COVID-19 statistics show: American Indian/Alaska Native with 2,249; Asian with 63,390; Black with 61,884; Hispanic/Latino with 691,429; Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander with 4,917; White with 158,341; those of other race and ethnicity with 113,500 and 236,323 under investigation. Dr. Davis stated masks stay an essential part in fighting COVID-19 as well as social distancing when necessary and hygiene.
For more detailed information on COVID-19 vaccination plans in L.A. County and to sign up for a vaccination newsletter, visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com
For more information and statistics on COVID-19 in Los Angeles County, please visit http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/
Always check with trusted sources for the latest accurate information about novel coronavirus:
*Los Angeles County Department of Public Health http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/
*California Department of Public Health https://www.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/Immunization/ncov2019.aspx
*Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019- ncov/index.html Spanish https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index-sp.html
*World Health Organization https://www.who.int/health-topics/coronavirus
*LA County residents can also call 2-1-1
