The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference decided that all fall school sports will have a season this year, including football, with some protocols in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and the CIAC and the governor held a news conference this afternoon to encourage athletes to get a vaccination.
Gov. Ned Lamont and the leadership of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference held a news conference in New Britain at 2 p.m. to encourage high school student-athletes to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
During the news conference, Lamont also said students in kindergarten through grade 12 will be wearing face masks at least for the first month of school.
On Tuesday, the state of Connecticut's COVID-19 positivity rate is 4.2 percent, an increase from 3.55 percent on Monday and 2.68 percent on Friday.
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While vaccinations are not required to play a sport, the CIAC and the Connecticut Department of Public Health have been urging parents to have all athletes who are 12 years old and over to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
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"Vaccination of all eligible athletes, coaches, and officials is currently the most important mitigation strategy we have available for preventing COVID-19 outbreaks on youth sports teams, and in the surrounding communities that support them," the CIAC said. "The more athletes, coaches, officials, and supporting family members who are vaccinated, the more likely interscholastic and other youth sports teams will be able to avoid repeated quarantines and testing of participants, to keep practicing and playing throughout the scheduled season, and to get back to a 'new normal' for youth sports in our state."
A news release from the governor’s office said they will be joined by student-athletes, coaches, and school leaders.
The news conference was help at New Britain Veterans Memorial Stadium at Willow Brook Park.
