CIAC releases updated winter sports guidelines

The Connecticut Interscholastic Conference announced updates to its Winter Sports COVID-19 guidance on Tuesday afternoon.

The updates aligned with the Connecticut State Department of Public Health’s most recent guidelines released on Monday.

Athletes, coaches and officials “will no longer need to quarantine after exposure to a known COVID-19 case if they remain asymptomatic” and they “do not need to be included in the regular screening testing programs for COVID-19.”

According to the updated guidelines if an individual tests positive, or if they don’t take a test, they must isolate for five days and can return to team activities on the sixth day or later, when they are fever-free for 24 hours and other symptoms are improved.

If they test negative, but still have symptoms, they should isolate and can return to team activities when they are fever-free for 24 hours and other symptoms are improved, and they must wear a mask around others until the symptoms are gone.

The guidance goes go on to say that the “longterm health effects and impacts on organ systems function resulting from even mild or asymptomatic COVID-19 disease is still unknown, although there have been some studies implicating blood clotting and cardiac effects as potentially underrecognized longer-term sequelae.

“As such, DPH recommends that all youth athletes receive health screening and clearance from a healthcare provider prior to resuming athletic activities after recovering from COVID-19.”

There were also changes to the guidelines for those who are a close contact to someone with COVID-19 and don’t develop symptoms.

If fully vaccinated, quarantining is not required if a mask is worn. A test five days after being notified of the close contract one should wear a mask for 10 days outside of their household and not participate in athletic activities within six feet of others if their sport recommends not wearing a mask due to safety reasons.

If the individual is not

fully vaccinated, one must quarantine for five full days. They must get tested on the fifth day or later. If the test is negative, they can return to the team on the sixth day or later. If the test is positive —or no test is taken — the athlete must continue to isolate through 10 days and if symptoms do not develop they can return after 10 days.

Masks will continue to be worn in basketball, ice hockey and indoor track (running). Field athletes in indoor track they can remove the masks during their event, but are required to wear it when not competing.

Wrestlers will not have to wear masks while they are participating in matches nor practice while they are grappling. Masks are required in all other settings.

Swimmers, divers and gymnasts do not need to wear masks while competing, but must in other settings.

For cheer and dance, masks are required during routines and in all settings. They may be removed during stunting and tumbling but must be put right back on.

Coaches, officials, and spectators will continue to wear masks at all times, no matter vaccine status.

The DPH recommends that athletes, coaches and others participant who are not fully vaccinated should refrain from traveling out of state for athletic events. It also recommends to those who do travel out of state for athletics to follow the current CDC guidelines for travel.