4 of 6 counties in CIF Central Coast Section have now been cleared to play high school football
The California Department of Public Health released updated county-by-county COVID-19 case rate numbers on Tuesday afternoon. The case rate numbers officially determine which counties are cleared to start playing high school football and other outdoor sports.
The six counties in the Central Coast Section each need an adjusted case rate equal to or less than 14 per 100,000 to resume playing outdoor high and moderate-contact sports. As of Tuesday afternoon, here are the counties that meet the case rate threshold and have been cleared to start playing outdoor high school sports:
(The Central Coast Section’s six counties are listed below followed by a ‘YES‘ or ‘NO‘ denoting whether they have been cleared to play as of Feb. 23):
Monterey County: NO, 18.2
San Benito County: NO, 17.2
San Francisco County: YES, 9.4
San Mateo County: YES, 11.1
Santa Cruz County: YES, 10.7
Santa Clara County: YES, 12.5
Note: For the counties that did not meet the case rate threshold, they will have another chance on Tuesday, March 2 when the state's county-by-county case rate data is updated.
The California Dept. of Public Health released updated youth sports guidance last Friday clearing a path for the return of high school sports. Read the state's complete updated youth sports guidance here. The guidance includes a chart that puts sports in tiers and lists them by their risk from low contact outdoor to high contact indoor.
After the CDPH has cleared counties to play, individual private schools and school districts can choose to be more restrictive than the guidance and not allow a particular sport to be played due to safety concerns from COVID-19. It's also important to remember that even if a sport is allowed by the CDPH, it still needs to be in season. In many counties, baseball got the green light to be played this week, but the sport won't be in season in some Sections until March.
The Season 1 Sports in the Central Coast Section are cross country, field hockey, football, boys and girls volleyball and water polo.
The Season 2 Sports in the Central Coast Section are badminton, gymnastics, baseball, basketball, traditional competitive cheer, competitive sport cheer, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming/diving, tennis, track and field and wrestling.
