L.A. County football, water polo can stop weekly testing

With the first weekend of high school football games just a few days away, Los Angeles County reported an adjusted case rate of 5.2 per 100,000 households on Tuesday, which was major news for football and water polo teams.

Why?

High School football and water polo teams in Los Angeles County are required to conduct weekly coronavirus testing for its athletes and coaches if the adjusted case rate falls between 7.0 to 14.0 per 10,000 households. By falling below 7.0 on Tuesday, it means schools are no longer required to test for this week’s games.

L.A. county updates the adjusted case rate each week, and the CDPH confirmed that schools need to check the adjusted case rates each Tuesday. If the case rates rise above 7.0 in subsequent weeks, teams will be required to conduct coronavirus testing.

But at least this week, schools are not required to test.

Last week, L.A. County reported an adjusted case rate of 7.2, falling just short of the 7.0 marker. Many anticipated it would drop below this week, and it did.

It will impact several local teams that have football games this weekend.

On Friday, Servite is at Damien; La Habra at Mission Viejo; Sonora at

Crean Lutheran; Salesian at Cantwell Sacred Heart and Rio Hondo Prep is hosting Trinity Classical at Kare Youth Park in Irwindale.

On Saturday, St. Francis is traveling to face Mira Costa.

Although testing is no longer required, it will be up to each school and school district to decide how to proceed. Some will continue with weekly testing regardless of today’s case rate, and some will not since the CDPH is not mandating it.

Damien athletic director Jeff Grant said its football and water polo players will still test this week.

“It is our current plan to test all student-athletes this week,” Grant said. “We will continue to make updated decisions weekly.”

Mark Carson, the Academy Director at Rio Hondo Prep, said it will not test this week prior to Friday’s game. Carson said they had testing lined up in the event the case rate did not drop below 7.0. But with today’s news, they will not test.

Sonora athletic director Rich Lodding said they already conducted coronavirus testing for football and water polo on Monday, but will no longer test if the case rate is below 7.0, unless they are directed differently.

Other outdoor sports — boys and girls soccer, baseball and softball — are not required to do weekly testing.