Games to begin for all Vt. indoor sports

The Village Green and the Middle Bridge in Woodstock, Vermont, after Tuesday’s storm. (Gareth Henderson Photo)

After weeks of only practices and limited scrimmages, games will be allowed for all indoor winter sports in Vermont as of Feb. 12.

The announcement came on Friday, with state officials saying this step was merited after expanded practices went smoothly over the past couple of weeks. The state has been under pressure to fully restart games and competitions for indoor sports, but it has taken a cautious approach in order to limit the spread of COVID-19.

The gradual process of resuming competition began last month, when the state gave the green light for snow sports competitions and virtual meets for low- or no-contact sports. Friday's announcement opened up indoor sports competition for all school-based and recreational youth teams, but with restrictions.

At Friday's press conference, officials said there will be no fans allowed at games and competitions — only key personnel and credentialed media. Sports involving close proximity or moderate contact will be allowed no more than two games in any seven-day period, and must allow at least three days between competitions. The mask mandate for players and staff is now extended to all referees and officials.

Julie Moore, the state's secretary of natural resources, asked for continued compliance to all health guidance, to allow this process to proceed. This includes having an "arrive, play, leave mentality."

"In order for Vermont's return to play to continue to be successful, it is important that the collective commitment of players, coaches and parents to essential health and safety measures — masking, physical distancing and forgoing team-based social activities — remains steadfast," Moore said.

Noting the absence of fans will be a disappointment for some, Moore said teams are encouraged to explore virtual options to bring games to the public, such as live streaming. The updated sports guidance will be available on the state's website by the end of Monday.

At a Friday press conference, Gov. Phil Scott urged families to adhere to the state's ban on multi-household gatherings during Super Bowl Weekend, to prevent any sharp rise in cases as resulted from Halloween gatherings last year. Complying with public health rules helps avoid the need to reinstate stronger restrictions, Scott said.

"If you want to keep moving forward ... please follow the guidance, because the last thing we want to do is move backwards, but as I've shown, I'm willing to do whatever is necessary to keep people safe," Scott said.

In other news, as of Thursday, over 10% of eligible Vermonters have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, the governor reported. The recently announced increase in Vermont's vaccine allocation over the next three weeks will accelerate its current effort to vaccinate those age 75 and older — which is the first part of Phase 2 in the state's vaccination plan. The increased allocation will allow Vermont to move to the next age group in Phase 2 — 70 and older — in the next few weeks.

As of Friday, Vermont's COVID-19 positivity rate remains at 1.9%, one of the lowest in the country.

— Gareth Henderson