Shelby County issues COVID-19 guidance
New health department guidance on sporting events reveals what the fan experience may look like in Shelby County and how teams are advised to play.
The new guidance, available in full at the end of this story, will take effect Monday.
In an FAQ regarding the tenth health directive, issued Friday, the Shelby County Health Department recommends that high-contact and high-risk sports do not recommence. Examples of high-risk sports, outlined by the National Federation of State High School Associations and cited in the directive, include wrestling, football, boys' lacrosse, competitive cheer and dance.
A recent executive order by Gov. Bill Lee, however, allows for non-schoolsponsored athletics to resume, so long as they follow state guidance surrounding COVID-19. That order, no. 55, allows for school districts to decide autonomously whether or not to resume sports, given they follow TSSAA guidance.
Collegiate and professional sports are bound to the rules of their own governing bodies, according to both the state health directive and the governor's executive order.
Sports that do resume must cooperate with the health department in reporting positive cases of COVID-19 and in contact tracing efforts.
Fans at outdoor sporting events may sit in same-household units or groups of six or fewer, but the outer-most members of each group must be 12 feet apart from other groups and must wear face coverings, per the health directive.
The same rules apply for fans of indoor sports, but they must be separated at least 18 feet apart, per the directive.
Large-scale sporting events — as well as festivals, fairs, parades and largescale community events — may not "open for business" according to the recent directive.
Read the sports guidance in full
The tenth Shelby County health directive says the following about sports:
Sporting/team Events and Activities. Please review more specific guidance below these additional general requirements:
Coaches, school officials, and sponsors of any of sports/team event or activity must: 1) cooperate with the Department and provide names and contact information of participants or staff who may have been a contact with a COVID-19 case and 2) report to the Department any participant or staff who has had contact with a person who tests or has tested positive for COVID-19 by calling 901-426-2624 (or the COVID Call Center at 833-943- 1658).
Outdoor sporting events that involve the likelihood that visitors will en-
gage in increased vocalization, such as yelling, cheering, singing, or speaking loudly, must be separated at least 12 feet apart and must wear face coverings consistent with the Face Mask Directive. Family units/groups of up to six people may sit together, but no member of one group can be within 12 feet of any member of another group.
Indoor sporting events that involve the likelihood that visitors will engage in increased vocalization, such as yelling, cheering, singing, or speaking loudly, must be separated at least 18 feet apart and must wear face coverings consistent with the Face Mask Directive. Family units/groups of up to six people may sit together, but no member of one group can be within 18 feet of any member of another group. All locations where events/activities occur must continue to abide by the requirements set forth in this Directive.
Grade 6-12 School-sponsored Sporting Events and Activities:
https://tssaa.org/returntoplay. Local education agencies and schools shall, notwithstanding any orders or provisions to the contrary, have the authority to permit, but are not required to permit, school-sponsored sporting events and activities, provided that all such activities, including practices and games or competition, must be conducted in a manner consistent with Covid-19-related regulations adopted by the Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association.
Non-school-sponsored Athletics: https://www.tn.gov/governor/covid19/economic-recovery/tennesseepledge.html. These athletic activities (including practices and games/competition) may take place as permitted by the Tennessee Economic Recovery Group (i.e., Tennessee Pledge) and provided that all such activities are conducted in a manner consistent with COVID-19 related regulations adopted by Tennessee Pledge, including any forthcoming state guidance.
Collegiate and Professional Sporting Events and Activities: must be conducted pursuant to the rules or guidelines of their respective governing bodies.
Scholastic and Other Organized Teams: If none of the aforementioned guidance applies, teams must follow guidance established by the National Federation of State High School Associations and any requirements set forth in this Directive.