Youth Sports and Activities May Resume Monday

Published on December 03, 2020

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department (LLCHD) today announced that following a three-week postponement, youth sports and activities may resume Monday, December 7 with new and strengthened protocols in place to protect the health and safety of all those involved. Those who operate, coach or supervise K-12 extracurricular group activities as well as facilities that host these activities are now required to submit an Extracurricular Activity Plan to LLCHD and will be required to report any COVID-19 cases to LLCHD.   

A template, sample plan, and guidance document is available on the “Business Resources” page at COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov. LLCHD staff will review plans quickly to allow extracurricular activities to resume once the plans are approved. 

More information will be shared at the news briefing scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Friday, December 4.The briefing will air live on LNKTV, the City government access channel. It is available on Allo channels 2 and 3, Spectrum channels 1300 and 1301, and Kinetic channel 1005 and 1010. The briefing will also be streamed at LNKTV.lincoln.ne.gov and available at YouTube.com/LNKTVcity.  

The COVID-19 Risk Dial remains in red, indicating that the risk of the virus spreading is severe. Health Director Pat Lopez said the pause on youth sports and activities was necessary to prevent the spread of the virus as schools, organizations, coaches, and activity participants worked with LLCHD to re-evaluate, strategize, and prepare for a safe return.  

“Thank you to all those schools and organizations that have worked with us to develop protocols to protect all those involved and their families,” Lopez said. “Requiring teams to have plans and to report COVID-19 cases are critical steps for reducing the spread of the virus in our community. ”  

For more information, visit COVID19.lincoln.ne.gov or call the Health Department at 402-441-6280.