What will Santa Clara County do with state’s updated guidelines?
Santa Clara County public health officials were noncommittal Friday about their plans as California youth sports advocates celebrated the state’s loosening of restrictions on high-contact activities.
Santa Clara County fell well within the state’s new case-rate parameters of 14 or fewer COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents to allow football and other contact sports while in the highest-level tier of the reopening system.
But even at 10.1 cases per 100,000 people, county officials did not immediately endorse the plan. Santa Clara County has some of the strictest COVID-19 guidelines in the country.
The Bay Area’s most populous county did offer high schools some hope when sounding open to the idea of permitting more contact sports to compete outside.
In a statement to the Bay Area News Group, county officials said they were reviewing the new guidance and would provide additional direction before the state guidelines take effect next Friday.
“While the county remains very concerned about protecting the community from the spread of COVID-19, we also recognize the value of exploring ways to expand allowable sports activities as safely as possible, as well as the need to protect our communities’ physical and mental health holistically,” the statement said.
State officials announced Friday that high school football and other outdoor sports will be allowed to resume play across many parts of California for the first time in nearly 12 months under new guidelines by the Department of Public Health.
Football, baseball, softball, soccer, water polo and lacrosse are all among the sports allowed to begin competition next Friday in any county meeting the per-capita case rate standard. Currently, 27 of the state’s 58 counties, including all but Contra Costa and Solano counties in the Bay Area, are at or under the 14 case threshold.
Dave Grissom, the commissioner of the Central Coast Section that comprises most Santa Clara County schools, said that reaching local public health officers for clarification was a priority.
CIF state executive director Ron Nocetti acknowledged that some schools might be faced with stricter rules than the state because of local jurisdictions.
“What I would say is that obviously the governor’s office and the California Department of Public Health have come up with what we believe are very clear and very fair guidelines and that we have to trust these experts at the California Department of Public Health,” he said in an interview. “I would hope that all of our constituencies would give full consideration to moving forward.”
Santa Clara County’s statement said officials will consider the comprehensive benefits and risks of the state’s new sports plan.
Serra High’s Patrick Walsh, who helped lead the return-to-play charge as a founder of the Golden State High School Football Coaches Community, recommended stakeholders push back if counties and school districts implement stricter rules than the state.
Walsh said state officials “are setting the bar and that should be the bar.”
In a video news conference that included leaders of the coaches community and the parent-driven Let Them Play CA, Walsh also said, “I don’t support counties going above and beyond and being more restrictive than the government at the very top.
“I don’t think it’s necessary. I think the effort and the data and science point to supporting this movement and supporting our governor and what he thinks is best for kids in the state.”
Walsh said if local authorities have stricter guidelines than the state the officials can expect lobbying from the groups that pushed California lawmakers to revise their policy.
Laura Reynolds, coach of Menlo School girls’ water polo team, held the Knights’ first practice an hour after state officials announced the new guidelines.
But as a member of the West Catholic Athletic League in water polo, Menlo might not be permitted to compete against the Santa Clara County schools in the conference, Reynolds said.