WIAA releases updates before shift to Phase 3
CASEY MCCARTHY | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 9 months AGO
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) released guidelines for activities and spectators Friday afternoon after Gov. Jay Inslee announced Thursday the state would move to Phase 3 on March 22.
Changes in spectator guidelines will go into effect Thursday.
Spectator restrictions will vary depending on seating arrangements available, according to a statement released by the WIAA. Venues with permanent seating for up to 1,600 spectators or crowd capacities are allowed up to 50% capacity or 400 people, whichever is fewer.
Venues with seating for more than 1,600 spectators may operate at 25% capacity, while all facilities must maintain six feet of separation between groups of spectators. Indoor activities may have up to 400 individuals or 50% capacity, whichever is fewer.
The WIAA also stated high-risk indoor sports and all other activities can resume competition in Phase 3, with masks required for all participants, coaches, staff and spectators. However, tournament play is still prohibited.
In the updated Healthy Washington: Roadmap to Recovery. counties will be evaluated individually every three weeks, with large and small counties following different criteria. According to the governor’s office, counties with more than 50,000 residents, like Grant County, will need to maintain a 14-day daily average of new COVID-19 cases at 200 per 100,000 or fewer and a seven-day average of hospitalizations of five or fewer.
Counties with fewer than 50,000 residents, like Adams County, must maintain a 14-day average new case count of 30 or fewer, and a hospitalization rate of three or fewer.
However, if at any point statewide ICU capacity hits 90%, the entire state will move down a phase, the governor’s office said.
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