L.A. County to Modify Health Officer Order on Youth Sports

Los Angeles County will modify the Health Officer Order to update youth sports testing requirements for vaccinated and unvaccinated athletes, staff, coaches, and volunteers.

The county continues to recommend weekly testing for unvaccinated participants in youth sports. The following applies to teams and sport activities based in Los Angeles County and relaxes some screening testing:

• Indoor Moderate or High Risk Sports for children of all ages, staff, coaches and volunteers. A weekly negative test result is required for all participants who are not fully vaccinated, including children who are playing, staff, coaches, and volunteers; weekly school testing fulfills this obligation.

• Outdoor Moderate or High Risk Sports for youth 12 and older, staff, coaches and volunteers. A weekly negative test result is required for all participants 12 and older who are not fully vaccinated, including children who are playing, staff, coaches, and volunteers; weekly school testing fulfills this obligation.

• No screening testing required for children under 12 playing Outdoor Sports; weekly school testing fulfills this recommendation.

• Fully vaccinated youth participating in outdoor sports are not required to test weekly unless there is a positive case among players, coaches and/or staff.  If there is a positive case, all players, coaches, staff and volunteers (regardless of vaccination status) are required to have a weekly negative test result for two weeks from exposure to the case and must test negative prior to competitions.

 These requirements may be modified based on the availability of and access to testing and will be reassessed when community transmission is no longer high. The youth sports guidelines are posted online at: http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/protocols/Reopening_YouthSports.pdf

Vaccinations are always free and open to eligible residents and workers regardless of immigration status. Visit: www.VaccinateLACounty.com (English) and www.VacunateLosAngeles.com (Spanish) to find a vaccination site near you. Or you can call 1-833-540-0473 for help finding an appointment, connecting to free transportation to and from a vaccination site, or scheduling a home-visit if you are homebound.  

 Details: www.publichealth.lacounty.gov.