DES MOINES, Iowa (KCCI) – The Iowa Department of Education announced Friday that practices and games would be suspended for sports if a school goes online due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

According to television station KCCI, the department released guidance that indicated school would have to stop athletics and other extracurricular activities during a period where the district shifted to online learning.

“All in-person activities and practices would need to be suspended during the period of 100% remote learning. Offering in-person activities would be incompatible with the goal of mitigating higher rates of virus transmission. Extracurricular activities could still be conducted virtually,” the statement said.

Des Moines Public Schools spokesman Phil Roeder confirmed with KCCI this would likely mean no sports for their district. He said Superintendent Tom Ahart has already made a recommendation to go online full-time. The school board will vote on this decision Monday.

Gov. Kim Reynolds announced last month that schools would be required to in class 51% of the time. Last week, she said that if schools didn’t plan accordingly, they would be, “defying the law.”

“I want to be clear,” Reynolds said. “Schools that choose not to return to school for at least 50% in-person instruction are not defying me. They’re defying the law.”

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