SACRAMENTO – (INT) – Youth baseball, cheerleading, softball and other outdoor high-contact sports will be resuming in California’s Purple and Red tier counties February 26th.

Updated guidance for youth and recreational adult sports was issued Friday by the State Department of Public Health (CDPH) It applies to counties with a coronavirus case rate at or below 14 per 100,000. In Riverside County, the current case rate is 28.8 cases per 100,000 people with a positivity rate of 11.0%.

Weekly testing will be required for football, rugby and water polo participants age 13 and over in counties with a case rate between 7 and 14 per 100,000.

Weekly testing, either antigen or PCR, is required for all participants and coaches in these sports, with results made available within 24 hours of competition. Football, rugby and water polo are high-contact sports that are likely to be played unmasked, with close, face-to-face contact exceeding 15 minutes.

The updated guidance for youth and recreational adult sports applies to all organized youth and adult sports, including school and community-sponsored programs, and privately organized clubs and leagues.

Health officials believe Californians can safely remain physically active while reducing the transmission of the coronavirus in their communities.

Story Date: February 25, 2021