TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The governor of New Jersey gave a strong endorsement of having high school sports Monday while saying such activities need to be limited to outdoor only and with precautions.

Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday that the final determination on fall high school sports seasons will be made by the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, which he said “will only pursue a sports schedule if they feel the proper health and safety requirements can be met.” If districts opt not to have teams take the field, the state will not overrule them, he said.

But Murphy said he was “hugely of the opinion that we need sports,” citing beneficial mental and physical health, teamwork and camaraderie effects. If high school sports weren’t pursued, he said, third-party organizations would “fill that void” and may not provide the same level of oversight as would the high school athletic association.

Although some college and university athletic organizations have canceled sports seasons, Murphy said he saw a distinction between high school sports held regionally and college sports involving travel to other states, in some cases where the pandemic was “still raging.”

If sports are held in a district, he said, student-athletes would be allowed to play whether they are being educated in classrooms or by remote instruction. “Whether that student is seated in a socially distanced classroom or at their kitchen table does not matter; they are a student of that school and they can play for that school,” he said.

Murphy said most fall sports are outdoor activities and safer than indoor ones, and social distancing can be ensured among spectators and on sidelines.

“There just isn’t evidence of outdoor flare-ups,” the governor said. “The flare-ups that we’ve seen at the college level, even at the community level, as far as we can tell have been overwhelmingly tied back to indoor activities that were away from the athletic activity.”

The state’s high school athletic association said July 30 that “our return-to-play plan is in full swing throughout New Jersey,” adding “we’re eager to begin our seasons in mid-September.”

NJ.com reported that the Newark school district, the state’s largest, announced plans Monday to begin the fall with all-remote instruction, reversing plans for some in-person instruction. Other school districts have announced similar plans and some have canceled high school sports for the fall.

The state on Monday reported 316 new positive COVID-19 test results for a cumulative total of more than 187,760, along with another four fatalities for a confirmed total of 14,077 and another 1,839 deaths considered probably associated with the disease.

For most people, the virus causes mild or moderate symptoms. Older adults and people with existing health problems are at higher risk of more severe illness or death.

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