New IDPH guidance to allow all IHSA sports to return

[EdgyTim]

According to just released IDPH guidance, all high risk sports (football, basketball and wrestling ) can compete in intra-conference or intra-region, but they will NOT have a state tournament. Volleyball will also NOT have a state tournament state. BUT All low risk and outdoor medium risk sports (soccer) can hold state final events,.

New IPDH Sports Guidance is linked and now awaiting a release from IHSA

IDPH New Sports Guidance Press Release

 

[YDFan_2000]

I heard some regions are in Phase 4 already. Are any of the Chicago area counties (Cook, DuPage, Will, etc.) in or close to Phase 4? If not, how close are they and will they be likely to get there to have a spring season? Would kill the kids even more if some counties can play and others can't. Either way this is great news!

 

[brucealmighy]

I heard some regions are in Phase 4 already. Are any of the Chicago area counties (Cook, DuPage, Will, etc.) in or close to Phase 4? If not, how close are they and will they be likely to get there to have a spring season? Would kill the kids even more if some counties can play and others can't. Either way this is great news!

Cook County is at 7.7. Was at 9.8 10 days ago so trending towards phase 4 by 2/1. DuPage is at 7.9 down from 10.4 10 days ago. Will is 7.6 from 11. All should be good without a surge

 

[lurker74]

Region Metrics

IDPH is monitoring key indicators to identify early but significant increases of COVID-19 transmission in Illinois, potentially signifying resurgence. These indicators are calculated for the 11 Illinois COVID-19 regions. IDPH will monitor if these indicators show an increase in the COVID-19...

dph.illinois.gov

 

[Hillini74]

Cook County is at 7.7. Was at 9.8 10 days ago so trending towards phase 4 by 2/1. DuPage is at 7.9 down from 10.4 10 days ago. Will is 7.6 from 11. All should be good without a surge

All good by when? Must be below 6.5% for 3 consecutive days. I'm not good at math. Does the current downward trend get us where we need to be by Feb 15? March 1st? March 15th? March 30th?

 

[gen22]

Why does this Michael O’Brien tweet that nobody factored in the change in administration. Does he live under a rock. People have been saying since September that many decisions have been based on politics. I hate to rip the guy but a little awareness would be nice for a journalists

 

[sporthog9er]

Next factor that could change everything....officials.

 

[CCfan]

An unprofessional observation by me is that the virus likes the weather that occurs near the changes from a warm to cold and cold to warm season. Temps in the 40s and the 50s seem to be most conducive to the infections increasing. It also seems that when a wave of infections start, it goes for about six weeks, peaks and starts a slow decrease in infections. The way I see it, March and April will be the next increase unless the rates of vaccinations increase dramatically.

Going from that observation, if accurate at all, leaves me with the feeling that somewhere around mid-March, beware the ides, infections will start to rise and we'll be back in the shut down stage once again.

I'm hopeful that I'm wrong but I'm not sure it will sit very well with the students this time around. Almost all the other states have succeeded in finding ways to get things done but Illinois. For the kid's sake, I hope someone with a little rationality thought gets a grip on the reality that it is for the best that the seasons should continue. I have my doubts that someone will surface to do the right thing.

 

[BornNRazed]

All good by when? Must be below 6.5% for 3 consecutive days. I'm not good at math. Does the current downward trend get us where we need to be by Feb 15? March 1st? March 15th? March 30th?

Small addition but there's also a requirement that ICU beds be above 20%. Chicago should be in Tier 1 tomorrow.

 

[brucealmighy]

All good by when? Must be below 6.5% for 3 consecutive days. I'm not good at math. Does the current downward trend get us where we need to be by Feb 15? March 1st? March 15th? March 30th?

By February 1.

 

[McCaravan]

An unprofessional observation by me is that the virus likes the weather that occurs near the changes from a warm to cold and cold to warm season. Temps in the 40s and the 50s seem to be most conducive to the infections increasing. It also seems that when a wave of infections start, it goes for about six weeks, peaks and starts a slow decrease in infections. The way I see it, March and April will be the next increase unless the rates of vaccinations increase dramatically.

Going from that observation, if accurate at all, leaves me with the feeling that somewhere around mid-March, beware the ides, infections will start to rise and we'll be back in the shut down stage once again.

I'm hopeful that I'm wrong but I'm not sure it will sit very well with the students this time around. Almost all the other states have succeeded in finding ways to get things done but Illinois. For the kid's sake, I hope someone with a little rationality thought gets a grip on the reality that it is for the best that the seasons should continue. I have my doubts that someone will surface to do the right thing.

Difference is the vaccine will be in heavy circulation this time over last

 

[RockSoup]

Regarding positive tests, WHO has issued new guidance regarding PCR testing, addressing false positives. (Edgy readers heard these claims here first in June of last year. We are a smart bunch.)

The only result from this new testing protocol once executed by all state testing facilities would be a lower number of positives. The degree or extent of the drop, I do not know but it will be interesting to follow.

interesting date for the release admitting the shortfalls of PCR testing and how to remedy those inaccuracies that some doctors were concerned with (but ignored by much of the press) 8 months ago.

https://www.who.int/news/item/20-01-2021-who-information-notice-for-ivd-users-2020-05

 

[sporthog9er]

Regarding positive tests, WHO has issued new guidance regarding PCR testing, addressing false positives. (Edgy readers heard these claims here first in June of last year. We are a smart bunch.)

The only result from this new testing protocol once executed by all state testing facilities would be a lower number of positives. The degree or extent of the drop, I do not know but it will be interesting to follow.

interesting date for the release admitting the shortfalls of PCR testing and how to remedy those inaccuracies that some doctors were concerned with (but ignored by much of the press) 8 months ago.

https://www.who.int/news/item/20-01-2021-who-information-notice-for-ivd-users-2020-05

The PCR change is absolutely stunning considering the timing. This is a huge deal and could impact HS sports (and everything else) because as you mentioned, it is poised to greatly reduced the number of positive tests. Many prominent scientists (just not the right ones) have been hammering on the CT threshold since last summer. Nobody cared. And now this WHO announcement has seemingly gone unnoticed too in the press and major news. I've always said if you are going to get a test, demand to know what the threshold is. If it is over 25, very likely to be a false positive and useless. That is according to Dr. Fauci. Kids and families should know this too as it relates to them testing for participating and school.

 

[greatgig13]

The PCR change is absolutely stunning considering the timing. This is a huge deal and could impact HS sports (and everything else) because as you mentioned, it is poised to greatly reduced the number of positive tests. Many prominent scientists (just not the right ones) have been hammering on the CT threshold since last summer. Nobody cared. And now this WHO announcement has seemingly gone unnoticed too in the press and major news. I've always said if you are going to get a test, demand to know what the threshold is. If it is over 25, very likely to be a false positive and useless. That is according to Dr. Fauci. Kids and families should know this too as it relates to them testing for participating and school.

Of course some leaders will say they had no idea what the WHO was thinking because our former president pulled out. Now that we’re back, we’re more enlightened every day. “Let the games begin “ has so many meanings right now.

 

[corey90]

Of course some leaders will say they had no idea what the WHO was thinking because our former president pulled out. Now that we’re back, we’re more enlightened every day. “Let the games begin “ has so many meanings right now.

I don’t know. 3/4 or more of the states in the United States have been playing HS sports. Maybe the little fat guy needs to grow a pair and get with the rest of the country. 👍

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

Front page of the Kankakee Daily Journal today: almost 200 teachers and staff at Bradley-Bourbonnais HS got their first vaccination at the school yesterday by the County health dept. BBCHS is already back to half the kids in school daily. BB likely will be weeks ahead of its opponents...I would assume Kankakee High will be next. Manteno's kids are already back, so Manteno probably won't be far behind...

Region 7 is Kankakee & Will Counties. Tier 1...7 day rolling average of 7.6. Kankakee 7 day average 5. Will 8.2...It hard to think the Kankakee rolling average is actually lower than the non UofI Region 6, which is Phase 4...

Region 6 to south is Phase 4 now. 7 day average of 3.3 including the UofI saliva testing, and 5.6 excluding UofI. Neighboring counties...Ford 7 day rolling average is 5.3, Iroquois 6.1, Vermillion 8.7, Champaign total 1.8, Champaign (excluding UofI saliva testing) 5.1...

Region 2 to west...Tier 1. 7 day average of 6.3. Grundy 7 day rolling average is 11.5, Livingston 4.6, Kendall 12.1.

Champaign county is a massive problem for the Governor and IDPH. Sure, it probably is the safest place around because of the strict Illini program, but the strictness of the program has destroyed their statistics...