More than 80 high school wrestlers from schools across Washington state have tested positive for COVID-19 after competing in one of four tournaments that took place Dec. 4.
As reported by Clark County Today, the Washington State Department of Health said that local health jurisdictions will be sending out notifications to impacted schools.
Prairie High School is one of the schools to have athletes test positive after its girls' wrestling team competed in the Lady Jags Kickoff Tournament in Puyallup, according to Manny Melo, the school’s athletic director. “We’re doing what the Department of Health is telling us,” Melo told Clark County Today. “Isolate the kids who are positive and isolate close contacts. We’re following the guidance.”
Clark County Today reached out to several athletic directors from schools that were scheduled to attend any of the four events. Prairie is the only one to report any positive tests as of Wednesday. Still, it is estimated that up to 90 wrestlers, vaccinated and unvaccinated, tested positive following competition.
Some school districts in other parts of the state have reportedly put their wrestling programs on pause, and there was a rumor that the state was going to do the same thing. As of Wednesday, that was not the case.
A team of epidemiologists is working on gathering more information about these events in an "evolving" investigation, according to the DOH. The agency recommends that participants, coaches, officials, support staff, and spectators at these events monitor for symptoms and get tested for COVID-19.
