LANSING, Mich. – High school sports have been cleared to resume this fall in Michigan, but is there any chance they could reopen to fans before the end of the season?
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer was asked Thursday whether there’s a possibility fans will be allowed to attend games at some point this fall, even if doing so would require wearing a mask.
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Right now, high school athletes in Michigan are allowed to have up to two guests at outdoor or indoor organized sporting events, and no other spectators are allowed. For outdoor competitions, the organizer has to either limit the audience to guests of the athletes or no more than 100 people, including participants.
“I know that it’s important that we can engage in some of these things that make life feel a little more normal, but we still have to be very smart about it for our student-athletes, for their families, for our educators,” Whitmer said.
Masks are one of the most important weapons against the coronavirus, Whitmer said. She said masks are enough to reengage parts of the economy, but certain protocols will remain in place when it comes to high school sports, specifically, football.
“We believe that this is one important way that we resume some football, but we’ve got to do it with these protocols to keep people safe," Whitmer said. “We still recognize that the more people that come together, more people are projecting their voices, the more inherently risky the conduct is.
“That’s why we’re trying to do this and step into it and do it right, and hopefully we’ll be successful, but we’re counting on everyone to do their part.”
More coverage
Here’s much more recent coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Whitmer’s handling of pandemic:
Reopening Michigan:
Health questions, advice:
Vaccines:
Outbreaks:
Unemployment:
Individual stories:
Changes: