HARRISBURG, Pa. — High school administrators and sports conferences have been deciding this week if and when sports will resume this fall.
Governor Tom Wolf said Thursday morning that he thinks there should be no sports until January 1.
The governor was asked about the PIAA's plan issued last week that called for high school sports to resume as normal this fall except that no fans would be allowed at any sporting event.
"The guidance is that we ought to avoid any congregate settings, and that means anything that brings people together will get us, and we have to do anything we can to defeat the virus. And any time we get together for any reason, that's a problem because that makes it easier for the virus to spread. So the guidance from us and recommendation is that we don't do any sports until January 1," Gov. Wolf said.
That was the last question of the news conference. It ended immediately after with no follow-up questions.
On Thursday afternoon, The Pennsylvania Department of Health and Department of Education today jointly recommended that Pre-K–12 school and recreational youth sports be postponed until at least January 1, 2021, to protect children and teens from COVID-19.
Administration officials said they are providing this strong recommendation and not an order or mandate, adding that as with deciding whether students should return to in-person classes, remote learning, or a blend of the two this fall, school administrators and locally elected school boards should make decisions on sports.