Football, soccer, other outdoor high-contact sports allowed to resume for certain counties

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION-TV) -- State health officials announced they're switching gears when it comes to outdoor high-contact sports as they're now allowing those sports to continue in counties in the purple tier of its Blueprint for a Safer Economy system. But there's a catch.

This new guidance means sports like football, soccer, baseball, cheerleading and other competitions can resume with modifications despite being purple tier counties, but only 27 counties in the state meet the state's requirements to do so.

The state says counties may resume the above sports competition for youth and recreational adult sports if coronavirus case rates for those counties are at or below 14 per 100,000.

Right now the only county on the Central Coast that meets that threshold for its adjusted case rate is Santa Cruz County, which has an adjusted case rate of 12.2 per 100,000.

Monterey County is at 24.0 while San Benito County is at 22.3.

With that said, there are still a number of modifications to be made for those counties allowed to resume this type of outdoor high-contact sporting activity.

Weekly testing will be required for football, rugby and water polo participants age 13 and over in counties with a case rate between 7 and 14 per 100,000.

Weekly testing, either antigen or PCR, is required for all participants and coaches in these sports, with results made available within 24 hours of competition.

Meanwhile some moderate-contact sports like baseball, cheerleading and softball can be played in these counties without the testing requirements.

For more on these changes visit this page