High school football and other outdoor sports are cleared to play in Monterey and San Benito County. They join Santa Cruz and Santa Clara counties which received approval on February 23rd.
The state of California requires counties to have a COVID-19 case rate at or below 14 people per 100,000 residents. Yesterday (On Tuesday), both San Benito and Monterey County hit that mark, with case rates of 10.0.
Tuesday’s COVID-19 results allow local schools to begin practicing football and other outdoor sports like baseball, beach volleyball, field hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and water polo.
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Football games will begin over the next week. Santa Cruz County schools will only play opponents within the county. Monterey Peninsula Unified School District has canceled the football season for Marina, Monterey, and Seaside high schools. Salinas Union High School District will play primarily in-district opponents, with the exception of one game between Salinas High School and Palma.
The state requires that all football coaches and players undergo weekly COVID-19 testing. Test results must be available within 24 hours of competition. Gov. Gavin Newsom says that the state will pay for the tests.
