South Dakota High School Activities Association Executive Director Dan Swartos says the State Basketball tournaments scheduled for this weekend and next weekend are still on as scheduled.
Swartos says the SDHSAA joins the Department of Health and the Governor’s Office in asking that those who are vulnerable or at-risk (older adults, individuals with serious chronic medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease or diabetes) to avoid large events and cheer on your team from home. All events will be broadcast on SDPB television and/or sdpb.org. In addition, anyone who feels sick or is having symptoms should not attend. Health officials urge those who are attending to follow CDC recommendations in terms of washing hands, maintaining personal space and more.
He says venues will take additional precautions with the athletes, including frequent disinfection of game equipment (game balls, chairs, locker room facilities, etc) and teams will not be engaging in pre and post game handshakes or participating in any other non-essential contact.
Swartos says SDHSAA will continue to work with the state agencies to monitor and assess the situation. If there are any additional changes to the state tournaments, the SDHSAA will issue a statement with that information.
The South Dakota Department of Health has launched a website with COVID-19 information, including number of cases found in the state, at www.covid.sd.gov.