Gov. Tim Walz said Wednesday is when more information will be revealed about a pause on youth sports.
“The same thing with our businesses, the same thing with our schools,” he said on a conference call Tuesday. “If we don’t get a handle on this (virus), it’s not going to be a choice whether we keep it open. There’s going to be no coaches to coach and we’re going to have kids in the hospital. It is inevitable with this growth.”
Walz and Minnesota Department of Health officials have long discussed the difficult choices in weighing personal and professional wellbeing with virus safety, but with the Midwest virus spread on par with what New York City experienced in the spring, states are taking measures where data shows who, when and where the virus is being spread, Walz said. He added it would be "fairly broad" across sports.
MDH reported Monday 156 outbreaks from sports at all levels across the state led by hockey (46) and volleyball (41).
Sarah Winston’s teen daughter was hospitalized in the ICU after contracting COVID. She was active with her dance team and did not have known underlying health conditions.
Winston said, though her daughter can’t participate due to developing the heart inflammation condition myocarditis, she wants other kids to take part.
“I think most of the state right now is doing distance learning. (Sports) really is their only outlet right now,” she said. “Unfortunately their mental wellbeing is being jeopardized right now.”
Fall high school sports are trying to reach their championships in the coming weeks and winter sports are scheduled to start in the next two weeks.
Walz Monday also hinted at further mitigation efforts, but did not detail what areas another dialing-back could occur.