BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Youth sports are able to resume in Kern County following updated state guidelines and Kern's latest metrics released by the state Tuesday.
The recently updated state guidance allows for all outdoor youth and adult recreational sports, including moderate-contact and high-contact sports, to resume practice, training and competitions in counties where the case rate is at or below 14 cases per 100,000 population.
As of Tuesday, Kern County's new adjusted case rate is 13.6 people per 100,000.
In order to fully move into the red tier, the county must have a rate of 7 cases per 100,000 people, a positivity rate below 8%, and a health equity quartile rate below 8%.
Kern's positivity rate is currently at 5.9% but its health equity quartile rate is at 9.2%.
The state’s guidance applies to all organized youth and adult sports, including school and community sponsored programs, and privately organized clubs and leagues.
Under the updated guidance, outdoor high-contact and moderate-contact sports competitions may resume in the State’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy’s red tier and purple tier, with modifications, including testing requirements for certain outdoor high-contact sports.
Kern County remains in the purple tier, which requires football, rugby and water polo participants age 13 and over to test weekly in order to resume competition, according to Kern County Public Health.
Tournaments or events involving more than 2 teams are not authorized except as outlined in the guidance. Inter-team competitions, meets, races or similar events are permitted only if both teams are located in the same county or in a bordering county. Teams are limited to one competition per day.
