Citing the "rapid emergence of the new highly transmissible Omicron variant," the state Department of Public Health (DPH) is slamming the brakes on a plan that would have allowed vaccinated high school athletes to stop wearing masks during play.
Mask-free play in winter sports was to start Thursday, Dec. 23. But DPH Commissioner Dr. Manisha Juthani issued this statement Wednesday evening:
"Although a previous assessment was made by DPH that would have allowed the choice for fully vaccinated participants to unmask during sports competitions, the rapid rise in COVID-19 community case rates and the emergence of this more contagious variant (Omicron) has forced us to reconsider that assessment."
In a letter to members, Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) Executive Director Glenn Lungarini said the CIAC will "modify its masking requirements to align with CT DPH."
Connecticut's COVID-19 caseload has been surging. On Wednesday, for the second day in a row, the state reported a positive COVID test rate of about 9%-- the highest since January, 2021.