McClatchy High School football, baseball teams sidelined by 6 positive COVID-19 tests
Six people who participate with the McClatchy High School football and baseball teams recently tested positive for COVID-19, and all members of both teams have self-isolated as a precaution, according to the Sacramento City Unified School District on Thursday.
Tara Gallegos, a school district spokeswoman, said she could not say whether the people who tested positive for COVID-19 are students, staff or coaches who participate in the football and baseball cohorts. She said the district is withholding that information to protect the private health information of those involved.
Those participating in the district’s athletic programs are grouped in cohorts to reduce exposure to other students and school staff and help school and health officials conduct contract tracing once a positive case has been reported.
Gallegos said there’s no evidence that suggests the spread of COVID-19 among the individuals occurred during the teams’ practices or games. Gallegos also said there’s no evidence the confirmed COVID-19 cases between the sports are linked.
A McClatchy High football game scheduled for Thursday versus Florin High School was canceled because of the positive COVID-19 test results. Gallegos said school district officials have been “doing a lot of behind-the-scenes work” contacting students and staff in the football and baseball cohorts who could’ve been exposed.
The students, staff members and coaches in the football cohort will remain in self-isolation at their homes until April 14, likely ending the team’s season. Football games are allowed to be played until April 17. Those in the baseball cohort will remain in self-isolation until April 11 as part of school district protocols. All games and practices have been suspended. Gallegos said the positive test results were reported on different days within the last two weeks.
The baseball team has not played a game this spring while most other schools in the area have played at least a few games.
To participate in the student athletics, students, staff and coaches are required to take weekly COVID-19 tests to closely monitor the health of the students and help prevent further spread of the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, Gallegos said. The tests will be offered to all other students and school staff on a voluntary basis once campuses reopen.
“With more of these tests becoming available, there are going to be more positive test results because there might have been someone who was asymptomatic,” Gallegos said. “It’s actually going to help track this and prevent further spread.”
Sacramento City Unified is offering two types of COVID-19 tests for students and staff. One is PCR tests, which is widely used and known as the most reliable test, with results within 24 to 48 hours, Gallegos said.
The other is rapid response tests with results within 15 minutes for students and staff exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. Gallegos said any positive rapid response test results must be confirmed with a PCR test.
