NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — New York City students and staffers who participate in "high-risk" public school sports will be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19, officials said Friday.
All Public School Athletic League participants who play or coach football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, lacrosse, stunt and rugby will be subject to the new mandate, the city's Department of Education said in a press release.
Bowling team athletes and coaches will also be required to get vaccinated, "because while not high-risk, it takes place in spaces that require vaccination," the release said.
Approximately 20,000 students and staffers are set to participate in high-risk PSAL sports this year, according to the release.
"We owe it to our young people to make it possible for them to safely return to the sports they love," Schools Chancellor Meisha Porter said in a statement. "Vaccinations are our passport out of this pandemic, and this vaccine mandate will ensure everyone on high-risk teams are protected and able to compete."
All high-risk athletes must get their first vaccine dose "by the first day of competitive play," the release said. Fully-vaccinated athletes will be allowed to go maskless while playing their sports outdoors.
The new rule aligns with both New York state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on high-risk sports, the release noted.
