MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In coordination with the WVSSAC, Governor Jim Justice detailed a color-coded system to approve or halt in-person instruction and athletics for school systems around West Virginia. Justice made the announcement at Friday’s COVID-19 response press briefing.
Four phases are in place (green, yellow, orange and red) based on the percentage of cases in a county per 100,000 people. The details are listed on the graphic below and the map is now posted on the DHHR website.
Logan County currently stands in the red category (no extracurricular activities). All fall sport student-athletes must compete in a minimum of fourteen practices prior to the start of the season. This places football season openers on September 4 for Logan (at Sissonville), Man (vs. Mount View) and Chapmanville (vs. Poca) in doubt.
Grant and Mingo Counties are in the orange category (practices only/no competitions).
All fall sports in West Virginia are set to begin mandatory, official preseason practices on Monday, August 17. Logan County teams will not be able to begin preseason practices as scheduled.
“Coaches and administrators have shown that they can handle and they can follow the guidelines,” said WVSSAC Executive Director Bernie Dolan. “We think we have done it very well and very safely. Our color code works hand-in-hand with the color code for the schools.”
Dolan is hopeful that the publication and daily updates of the map will get counties and individual communities invested in allowing students to return to school and student-athletes to return to practices and competitions.
“We think that this system will allow communities to get behind the initiative to move the color closer to green and then finally get to green. There will be incentives for communities to move. We think that with our coaches and administrators and players all leading the way, we think that we are going to head in the right direction.
“I don’t know of another plan that is out there that is like this — that incentivizes the community to get better. Not only to be healthier, but allow more activities to go on.”
Dolan added that the WVSSAC with work with administrators regarding fan attendance at games when schools enter the green and yellow phases.
(This story will be updated)