NCAA Updates COVID Policies for Winter Sports
As the Omicron version of COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc across the country, the NCAA has issued revised COVID policies for its winter sports. The new policies take into account vaccination status and other immunization considerations for Tier 1 personnel, including student-athletes and coaches.
A Tier 1 person will be considered "fully vaccinated" if they:
- Johnson & Johnson is within two months of receiving the vaccine
- are within five months of receiving the Pfizer vaccine
- Are within six months of receiving the Moderna vaccine
- have received a booster vaccine if they are more than two months after Johnson & Johnson vaccine or more than five or six months after Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, respectively
In addition, a person who has been diagnosed with COVID-19 within the last 90 days and has fully recovered will be considered "fully vaccinated".
Those who test positive for the virus are recommended to be quarantined for five days, and can exit the quarantine if they show no symptoms, or their symptoms are subsiding. It is also recommended that the person wears a mask around others for at least five days after exiting the quarantine.
Close contacts are advised to wear a mask around others for 10 days when not actively training or competing. Masks are not required for athletic competition. It is also recommended that these individuals test themselves on the fifth day of this time period.
"The Omicron version has presented another surge in cases across the country," said Brian Heinlein, NCAA's chief medical officer. “This guidance was designed to align with the latest public health directives. Given how the pandemic is evolving, it is important that staff at member campuses follow their local and state guidelines on the most appropriate protocols for their locations. Continue to work with health officials."
