Indoor And Outdoor Youth Sports Can Resume In California After Settlement; COVID-19 Case Rate Still The Determining Factor
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A group that had filed a lawsuit against California's COVID-19 restrictions against youth sports says they've reached a settlement that will allow all high school sports to resume across the state.
"Let Them Play" organizers announced the settlement on Thursday. The suit alleged that the state didn't have adequate basis to support its COVID-19 restrictions, which have placed nearly all youth sports programs on hold since last year.
The settlement comes after California public health officials announced a loosening of restrictions last month against some outdoor youth sports in counties where coronavirus infections are subsiding.
This meant that sports like football and soccer could resume, but indoor sports like basketball, wrestling and volleyball could not.
However, the settlement means that both indoor and outdoor sports can now resume play.
It will still be up to each school district to decide whether or not a sport can resume play. Further, the county where the school is located will still need to have a COVID-19 case rate of 14 or lower for any sports to resume.
Gov. Gavin Newsom was asked about the settlement at a press conference discussing California's coronavirus vaccine distribution efforts on Thursday but declined to comment, noting that he didn't have the details yet.
Newsom did say that more outdoor activities will be allowed once counties reach the less restrictive "Red" tier of reopening, but those adjusted guidelines will be released later.