Dr. Ezike: Schools in Phase 4 Can Play All Sports

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Published on January 22 2021 1:43 pm
Last Updated on January 22 2021 5:26 pm
Written by Greg Sapp

IHSA 2020

Illinois Department of Public Health Director Dr. Ngozi Ezike Friday said schools in Phase 4 can play all sports.

Ezike made the statement during the daily COVID press briefing with Governor J.B. Pritzker.

During the question and answer time, the Governor was asked the sports question. Pritzker deferred to Ezike, who said all sports can be played at schools in Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan.

Competition will be intra-regional and intra-conference. There will not be state tournaments in football, basketball or volleyball. There can be state tournaments in baseball, softball and soccer...basically the outdoor sports.

(ILLINOIS REGION 6 IS IN YELLOW)

The current guidance is that once seven practice sessions are held, the seasons can begin. In the case of basketball, 12 days of practice are required prior to the start of play.

Unit 40 Activities Director David Woltman said that the district is planning to follow the guidance of the State and the IHSA and IESA as to how to proceed. 

The IHSA Board of Directors is slated to meet this Wednesday, the 27th, when seasons are expected to be laid out. Then, athletic directors can begin hashing out who plays whom, and when.

Here is additional information released Friday afternoon by the Illinois Department of Public Health:

Working alongside the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and the Illinois State Board of Education, IDPH also announced sports guidance for all youth and adult recreational sports under Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois plan. Sports guidance under Phase 4 expands the level of play allowed for all sports to allow play at the intra-conference, region, or league levels.
 
While regions in the state continue to move toward Phase 4 of the Restore Illinois Plan, the risk of a resurgence, particularly with new variants such as the U.K. variant remains serious. The state urges all Illinois residents to continue following guidance aimed at reducing the spread of COVID-19, such as wearing a mask, reducing interactions outside the household, practicing social distancing, frequent hand washing, and receiving the COVID-19 vaccine when eligible. 
 
IDPH will continue to closely monitor test positivity, ICU bed availability, and the number of people in the hospital with COVID-19. Should data show regions trending in the wrong direction, based on the established mitigation metrics, regions could once again find themselves in a higher tier with increased measures.