EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (WEAU) – Regis Catholic Schools in Eau Claire is playing high-risk fall sports this year, and the Eau Claire City-County Health Department sent out risk mitigation strategies to combat the spread of COVID-19.

The recommendations also stem from WIAA guidance for sports such as football, volleyball, and cross country.

City-County Health Department Director Lieske Geise strongly recommends schools think twice about playing close contact sports, but for those who decide to, there are strategies.

“If high risk sports are played making sure there are few or no spectators involved … Minimizing spread by not having multiple teams and multiple jurisdictions involved in one type of sporting event,” said Giese.

Giese also says the priority is having students, teachers, and coaches in school successfully, first.

“Even professional sporting teams are getting impacted drastically by high risk sports and the spread of disease, they have the luxury of regular testing and the luxury of really being quarantine away from anybody they’re being played with. In this community, the priority, the superintendents priority and my priority is that we have students and teacher and coaches able to be in school,” said Giese Wednesday.

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