LANSING, Michigan — The Michigan High School Athletic Association is limiting fan attendance at upcoming events.
MHSAA said the girls gymnastic finals on Friday, boys ice hockey semifinals and finals, boys swimming and diving finals, girls basketball regional finals and boys basketball district finals.
Each competing school will provide an entry list at the host site before each contest, according to Thursday's announcement.
Bands, cheerleaders and other large gatherings will not be allowed on site.
Earlier on Wednesday, the athletic association said all activities would go on as scheduled. They said the change is a direct response to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's appeal to take precautions because of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
Plans for the final two weeks of the girls' and boys' basketball tournaments will be made by March 16.
The MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said this is unfortunate for many reasons, but they intend to do everything possible to allow their students who have earned the opportunities to compete at the highest levels.
“However, we also take seriously our responsibility to help slow the spread of this disease. We will continue to follow guidance from the Governor’s office, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, county health departments and our member schools, maintaining the flexibility necessary to allow us to finish this winter season and provide opportunities for lifetime memories to be made while keeping all involved in our events as safe as possible," he said.
Here's a breakdown of sport-by-sport attendance and broadcast stipulations.
Boys Swimming & Diving Finals
Rounds: Preliminaries on March 13, Finals on March 14
Attendance: No onsite spectators allowed.
Broadcast: Live streaming of prelims and Finals on MHSAA.tv.
Girls Gymnastics Finals
Rounds: Team Finals on March 13, Individual Finals on March 14
Attendance: Limited to parents, legal guardians and essential administrators on March 13. No onsite spectators allowed March 14.
Broadcast: Live streaming of Team and Individual Finals on MHSAA.tv.
Boys Ice Hockey Semifinals and Finals
Rounds: Semifinals on March 12-13, Finals on March 14
Attendance: Limited to parents, legal guardians and essential administrators.
Broadcast: Live streaming of all nine games on MHSAA.tv.
Girls Basketball Regional Finals
Rounds: All scheduled for March 12.
Attendance: Limited to parents, legal guardians and essential administrators.
Broadcast: Live streaming of some games, with subscription, on MHSAA.tv.
Boys Basketball District Finals
Rounds: All scheduled for March 13.
Attendance: Limited to parents, legal guardians and essential administrators.
Broadcast: Live streaming of some games, with subscription, on MHSAA.tv.
The state has set up a website for COVID-19, and their preparations for dealing with the virus
What are the symptoms and ways to prevent COVID-19?
The CDC says patients with the confirmed infection have reportedly had mild to severe respiratory illness with symptoms of:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
To slow the spread of COVID-19 in Michigan the state gave the following recommendations:
- Learn about the signs and symptoms of COVID-19, which include fever, cough and difficulty breathing.
- STAY HOME WHEN YOU ARE SICK, and individuals at risk of severe illness should consider staying at home to avoid others who are sick.
- Regularly clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces, such as doorknobs, keyboards, cell phones and light switches.
- Communicate and reinforce best practices for washing hands and covering coughs and sneezes.
- Be sure to maintain a supply of medications, food, and other essentials in your house.
- Cancel or postpone large gatherings, conferences and sporting events (e.g. events with over 100 people).
- Reduce in-person gatherings and activities, especially for organizations with individuals at risk of severe illness. Consider offering video or audio of events.
- Consider tele-learning or tele-work opportunities, where feasible.
- Limit non-essential work travel.
- If you care for a loved one living in a care facility, monitor the situation, ask about the health of the other residents frequently, and know the protocol if there is an outbreak.
- Limit visitors at hospitals and other facilities to only those who are absolutely necessary and implement screening of visitors for temperature and respiratory symptoms.
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- NBA tells teams to plan for empty arenas; LeBron says no way
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