KHSAA: State basketball tournaments will go on amid coronavirus concerns
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association has no plans to cancel, postpone or alter the schedule of its upcoming boys’ and girls’ state basketball tournaments amid concerns of the spread of the coronavirus to Kentucky, its commissioner said in a statement Sunday.
“We are keenly aware of the recently declared emergency status and the primary purpose for which those declarations were made, to enable and expedite federal assistance with state and local efforts,” the KHSAA’s Julian Tackett said in the news release. “We will review any new developments and listen to medical experts as they advise not only the KHSAA but our Commonwealth and country on alternative next steps.
“As of this point, there are no plans to alter the arrangements or schedule for either state basketball tournament. We continue to work closely with the staff at Lexington Center and are one hundred percent certain that all necessary steps are being taken to control what we and the facility can control.”
The Mingua Beef Jerky/KHSAA Girls’ Basketball Sweet 16 begins Wednesday in Rupp Arena in Lexington. The Whitaker Bank/KHSAA Boys’ Sweet 16 will be held next week, also in Rupp.
Friday afternoon, Kentucky’s first case of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, was diagnosed and a patient from Harrison County was listed in “serious but improving condition” at UK Chandler Hospital, according to Gov. Andy Beshear. The virus has swept across the globe, but Kentuckians remain at very low risk,” according to Dr. Steven Stack, Kentucky’s public health commissioner.
Sunday, the governor said three more cases have been diagnosed in the state in Harrison, Jefferson and Fayette counties.
The KHSAA’s statement was released about 30 minutes before the newest cases became publicly known. Joe Angolia, communications director for the KHSAA, said he did not anticipate any changes to his organization’s statement Sunday night in light of the most recent cases.
Harrison County Public Schools announced it was closing this week and canceling all sports and extracurricular activities until further notice. Harrison County’s basketball teams did not reach either state tournament.
The KHSAA said it was following the example of the NCAA’s medical panel, whose chief medical officer, Dr. Frank Hainline, said Friday: “The key is for all stakeholders and athletes to practice risk mitigation at all events. At present, the panel is not recommending cancellation or public spacing of athletic and related events scheduled to occur in public spaces across the United States.”
Those risk mitigation steps were listed by the KHSAA in their statement:
“1. Without question, the three most important suggested steps remain the same: Hand-washing should be emphasized, now more than ever. 2. Individuals who are sick should not plan on attending, and 3. Those with particularly vulnerable health conditions, especially the elderly, should be encouraged to thoroughly evaluate their decisions to attend.”
This story was originally published March 8, 2020 at 6:31 PM.
