Come back, all fans
All spectators allowed into APS events again on Thursday
From fans, to no fans, to some fans, and now back to full fans.
For the majority of the high school basketball and wrestling programs inside Albuquerque Public Schools, fans can return in full for events starting Thursday, APS district athletic director Adrian Ortega told the Journal on Tuesday.
This will apply to 12 of the district’s 13 high schools — everyone except Volcano Vista, which has numbers greater than the 5% COVID-19 positive case threshold. Mask mandates remain for all in attendance at the event, athletes included.
For any games, or wrestling competitions, that Volcano Vista appears in it will be two spectators allowed per athlete and coach, and this will also apply to events the Hawks have on the road.
It was not immediately known how much longer Volcano Vista will have to continue with limited fans, Hawks AD Ron McMath said.
The regular season for basketball ends Feb. 19. Wrestling’s regular season ends the week prior to that.
Two weeks ago, APS made the decision to ban fans, citing a rapid rise in positive COVID-19 cases in the district among the high school student bodies. That ban was announced as two weeks long.
Eldorado, even before that decision, was already above the 5% positive-case threshold that would necessitate a prohibition on fans. The Eagles, in fact, played a fan-less game at Volcano Vista three days before the fan ban was announced by APS.
Eldorado’s positive cases have dropped, AD Roy Sanchez said Tuesday, so the Eagles will allow full crowds starting Thursday. Last week, APS amended its policy, saying that athletes and coaches would be permitted two spectators apiece for events.
Bosque School had briefly banned fans from its sporting events, but that ban was lifted Tuesday as the Bobcats boys basketball team played host to Sandia Prep.
Belen, even before APS, had begun to implement a policy of two spectators per athlete for home basketball games and wrestling duals. Eagles AD Josh Grine on Tuesday said the school will continue with that for the immediate future, possibly through the end of the regular season.