HELENA – The Lewis and Clark City-County Board of Health voted to support the Health Officer’s recommendation to allow spectators at local, school-sponsored sports and other community youth activities, with conditions.

The Board’s decision supports an amendment to a portion of LCPH Order of the Health Officer 10-2020 released on July 7, 2020. Under the new amendment, spectators would be permitted to attend sporting and other school-sanctioned events in numbers of up to 250 people. School districts and organizers of community youth activities would be responsible for receiving approval from LCPH for spectator plans and enforcing spectator plans for each activity.

Members of the community are urged to follow guidance from their location school district regarding attending any school event. Those with more than 50 spectators would be required to follow physical distancing measures as outlined in the Order of the Health Officer 10-2020.

“With another added layer of activity that creates an environment ripe for COVID to strike, the capacity for public health and the health care system to contain and treat the disease must be taken into consideration. We are far from the end of this. We must fight together against the virus‚“ states Health Officer Drenda Niemann.

LCPH continues to urge people to practice what has been learned over the last few months, such as physical distancing, wearing a face covering, washing hands, and sanitizing surfaces to protect ourselves and others. If you have questions, please call Lewis and Clark Public Health at 457-8900.