PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — In light of rising coronavirus cases and hospitalizations in the Tampa Bay area, Pinellas County Schools won't be moving on to Phase 3 of its summer conditioning plan.
This phase was scheduled to begin Monday. Instead, the district will continue Phase 2 guidelines. This means weight rooms, gyms, and locker rooms will remain closed.
The district says it will continue to monitor conditions of COVID-19 in Florida and the county to determine possible adjustments to the guidelines.
Below is the original "Return to Play" plan put in place by the school district:
- Phase I: June 15 - June 28. Only outdoor workout facilities can be used. Gyms, locker rooms and weight rooms will not be open. No more than 30 players or staff can be at the facility. Workouts or practices in groups cannot exceed more than 10 people, including coaches.
- Phase II: June 29 - July 12. Teams can re-evaluate conditions and adjust guidelines. Weight rooms, gyms and locker rooms remain closed. The number of people allowed at each facility will also be reviewed.
- Phase III: July 13 - July 26. Teams can re-evaluate conditions and adjust guidelines. The guidelines must include daily screenings for staff and athletes, a COVID-19 release form and the use of masks.
You can view the updated Return to Play plan by clicking or tapping here.
On Sunday, Florida saw the highest single-day report of new COVID-19 cases in the country with 15,300. However, because of the record number of test results, the state's positivity rate dropped below 12 percent for the first time since the end of June.
On Monday, the state reported 12,624 new COVID-19 cases. Of the 112,264 test results, 11.51 percent were positive. A total of 1,105 people in the Tampa Bay are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 as their primary diagnosis.
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