As the Sept. 4 start date for the high school football season inches closer, the GHSA revealed Monday that the number of positive COVID-19 cases among state high school athletes has increased by 211, to 866 from the 655 the organization reported July 28.
The most recent number was provided to the AJC through an open-records request.
The GHSA started tracking the number of positive cases June 8, when high schools were allowed to begin summer conditioning. Schools are not required by the GHSA to submit their results to the organization but are encouraged to. The GHSA does not document how many schools have reported, GHSA executive director Robin Hines said.
When asked for comment, Hines declined a telephone interview, but provided more information via email exchange.
“We keep a total number (of positive cases) only,” Hines said in an email. “We believe the (Georgia Department of Public Health) will track those numbers when they require it.”
The reported increase in positive cases among high school athletes comes on the heels of state school districts recently canceling or postponing football seasons, including Rockdale County, Twiggs County, Stewart County and City of Decatur Schools. Clayton County has delayed the start of its fall sports through Aug. 21. The GHSA does not keep records on how many high school programs have been forced to quarantine because of the virus.
In May, Riverside Military became the first Georgia school to cancel all fall sports.
When asked if school systems making individual decisions on whether to play their football seasons would ultimately dictate how the GHSA proceeds, Hines responded, “It’s a fluid situation. Schools may always opt out of playing with no penalty.”
Hines also said the GHSA has had no correspondence with any state school board officials regarding the cancellation or postponement of high school sports that he’s aware of.
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