Athletics-Activities Testing
Douglas County School District has contracted with OptimuMedicine for COVID-19 testing for athletics, activities, and any students and staff that "opt-in" to the testing program at Douglas High School, Carson Valley Middle School, and Pau-Wa-Lu Middle School.
Overview
The NIAA member school districts and schools will ensure compliance with Section 6 and Section 7 within Directive 048.
Section 6: All county school districts, charter schools, and private schools, regardless of county transmission level, shall implement a regular COVID-19 testing program for students and staff or volunteers, including but not limited to coaches, leaders, and advisors, who are not fully vaccinated and who are involved in activities that involve travelling to other schools or venues outside of the county for games, tournaments, competitions, concerts, meets, or similar events. Testing must occur at least once per week. If a student, staff member, or volunteer tests positive for COVID-19, current CDC recommendations for isolation and quarantine must be followed.
Section 7: The NIAA must promulgate a mandatory COVID-19 testing and mitigation plan for full-contact and close-contact sports. The plan must require at a minimum weekly testing of coaches, staff and athletes participating in these sports who are not fully vaccinated. The plan must include rules and guidance for the use of face coverings by student athletes while both actively and not actively participating in the sporting activity.
Prior to the commencement of competitions of full-contact and close-contact sports between schools in different counties, the individual schools must implement the NIAA testing and mitigation plan and begin the weekly testing protocols required by such. For the purpose of this requirement, a week begins at 12:00 a.m. on Monday and concludes at 11:59 p.m. on Saturday.
NIAA member school districts and schools shall submit a testing and mitigation plan to the NIAA office for review and approval. This plan must include guidance from The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) isolation and quarantine recommendations for test positive cases. In the case of complaints filed by one member school district or school against another member school district or school, the NIAA will investigate. If, after investigation, a determination is made that a member school district or school has not satisfied the requirements outlined in Directive 048 after having been charged by another member school district or school disciplinary action may be imposed according to Nevada Administrative Code 385B inclusive.
The NIAA-sanctioned sports of Basketball, Football and Wrestling require testing of non-fully vaccinated Team Members and the return of testing results during each Competitive Week, effective with a team’s first contact with an opponent (scrimmage or contest). This testing and results acquiring plan is to be conducted by each NIAA member school district and school. Said plan is to be conducted regardless of travel to out-of-county opponents.
All other NIAA-sanctioned sports (Baseball, Bowling, Cross County, Flag Football, Golf, Skiing, Soccer, Softball, Swimming & Diving, Tennis, Track & Field and Volleyball) will require the testing of non-fully vaccinated Team Members and the return of testing results during each Competitive Week, effective with a team’s first contact with an opponent (scrimmage or contest), if that team or school’s sports program is traveling out-of-county for a contest during the Competitive Week.
NIAA member school districts and schools are responsible for the implementation and conducting of a testing and mitigation plan.
Non-NIAA member school districts and schools, including a member school from another NFHS state association, are subject to the Mandatory COVID-19 Testing and Mitigation guidance herein. NIAA Guidance I, 4.
The length of immunity after having recovered from COVID-19 is unknown. As a result, those who have contracted COVID-19 and recovered, but are non-vaccinated, will still be required to test.
Any student-athlete, manager, coach or other team personnel who test “positive” on the Abbott BinaxNow test, are to be immediately isolated from others and referred to their medical provider and/or local health authority. Any individuals who have had recent close contact with the individual are to be quarantined regardless of whether they test negative at or near the time of the exposure. An individual may be released from quarantine after seven (7) days if they are asymptomatic and have had a negative test result using RT-PCR, Abbott IDNOW or Abbott BinaxNOW tests on or after day five (5) of their last exposure.
False positive on a BinaxNOW Rapid test are rare but do occur. An individual who has a positive result on a BinaxNOW Rapid test and then tests negative on a PCR test administered within 48 hours of the BinaxNOW result, and displays no symptoms of COVID-19 may return to participation along with those close contacts of that individual who test negative and are symptom free. Douglas County School District will not be responsible for providing follow-up PCR testing in the event of a positive BinaxNOW result in conjunction with this screening.
Coaches must immediately report any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 to a site administrator, who will report it to proper authorities. It is important to use discretion and be cognizant of potential stigmatization.
Positive Test Protocols
If a coach, manager, or student-athlete of the same team tests positive for COVID-19, the entire team (if they have been in close contact with the positive individual) MUST quarantine for ten (10) days. All team activities and practices must be canceled for ten (10) days during the quarantine period. The 10-day quarantine period may be reduced to seven (7) if all who had been in close contact test negative starting on day five (5) from the most recent exposure.
Close contact means being six (6) feet or less from a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 for a cumulative total of 15 minutes over a 24-hour period. A vaccinated coach, manager, or student-athlete will not be considered a close contact, and will not be required to quarantine unless they are showing symptoms of COVID-19.
If a household member of a non-vaccinated student-athlete, manager, coach, or other team personnel of the same team tests positive for COVID-19, that student-athlete, manager, coach, or other team personnel must notify the school administration and/or NIAA and must cease all activities with the team for ten (10) days, or seven (7) days if they test negative starting on day five (5) from the most recent exposure. A negative test prior to day five (5) from the most recent exposure does not allow earlier return.
If a student-athlete, manager, coach, or other team personnel becomes sick with or tests positive for COVID-19, they are to notify the school administration and/or NIAA. They MUST cease all athletic activity and participation and MUST be suspended until 10 days of home isolation are completed and symptoms have resolved for at least 24 hours after that. Cases which continue to be symptomatic cannot return to participation even if test results are negative.
Douglas High School or George Whittell High School must assure that anyone within their authority who previously tested positive for COVID-19 receive medical clearance before returning to play or activity.
Contact Tracing
Cooperation with Local Health Authorities on contact tracing is expected. School and school district staff, including but not limited to administrators, athletic directors, school nurses, school safety specialists, counselors, athletic trainers, coaches and any other staff deemed appropriate by the school and/or school district, shall collaborate and assist Local Health Districts with contact tracing in the event of illness of a student-athlete, coach, referee, athletic trainer, and/or anyone else involved with a sports team/group and/or event.