Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak is holding a press conference Friday at 1 p.m. at the Grant Sawyer Building in Las Vegas.

According to the governor’s office, the conference will address “Nevada’s COVID-19 response efforts and adjustments to existing restrictions on youth and adult recreation sports.” It is not clear if Sisolak will address high school sports, which are currently postponed until January.

The meeting will be streamed live and can be watched above. 

Here is a look at current restrictions and mandates in place for organized Nevada sports, according to the Nevada Health Response website:

What are the overarching mandates?

  • Effective June 6: No tournaments or competitions are allowed

  • Effective June 26: Children 10 years old and over are required to wear face coverings, except if the person meets exemptions established by Directive 024 or are participating in high-intensity activities.

  • Effective June 26: It is recommended that children between 2 and 9 years old wear a face covering except when eating, drinking, swimming or participating in high-intensity activities.

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Nevada’s mandatory general guidelines for youth sports:

  • Training sessions shall be timed to allow at least a 30 minute break between the finish and start of subsequent sessions, to allow for departure and arrival without crowding.
  • Players and coaches will be asked to arrive no earlier than 15 minutes prior to a session and depart no later than 15 minutes after completion.
  • Participants should pick up their own trash at the conclusion of all practices and activities. Extra trash bins should be provided, and more frequent dumping should occur.
  • All requirements must be shared prior to the practice with all players and coaches.
  • Limit sports activities to those in which participants can maintain social distancing or close contact is limited and brief. Examples include golf, baseball, softball, cycling, swimming, diving, dance, tennis, disc golf, horseback riding, track and field, figure skating, curling, running, and pickleball.
  • For sports activities in which participants cannot maintain social distancing and close contact is frequent or prolonged (e.g., football, competitive, cheer, lacrosse, basketball, wrestling, rugby, water polo, and hockey), activities should be limited to conditioning, drills, and practices in which dummy players, sleds, punching bags, and similar equipment are used.
  • All coaches and managers are required to wear face coverings. Players should wear face masks except while playing or exercising (e.g. on the sidelines).

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Nevada’s mandatory guidelines for teams and players

  • Players’ personal items and equipment should be spaced out at least 6 feet apart.
  • Players should use their own equipment as much as possible.
  • Players must bring their own water/beverage to consume during and after practice. No shared drinking fountains or coolers.
  • No shared/communal snacks.
  • Conduct daily symptom assessments.**
  • No touch rule- no high fives, handshakes or other physical contact.
  • No spitting or eating seeds, gum, or other similar products. 

Nevada’s mandatory guidelines for the coaches and parents

  • Ensure social distancing for all practice activities.
  • Coaches must clean and disinfect shared equipment before and after each practice and games. Use disinfectants outlined on EPA List N.
  • Parents must remain in their cars or drop off and pick players up afterwards.
  • Enforce no touch rule – no high fives, handshakes or other physical contact.
  • Stay up-to-date on the latest guidance issued by the CDC, state and local health authorities. 

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Nevada’s mandatory guidelines for medical clearance

  • Require medical clearances from those that had previously tested positive for COVID-19.
  • For individuals who have experienced a known COVID19 exposure in the past 14 days, home quarantine for 14 days is required. A medical clearance is required to return to practice following the home quarantine.
  • Report the onset of any new symptoms immediately. Conduct daily symptom assessments.** 
  • Players should contact their physician and follow the recommendations, if they have any symptoms.
  • Any player feeling unwell should not practice and immediately notify their coach/team manager. 
  • Any (or their family member) player presenting symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, trouble breathing, etc.) should notify their coach and team manager immediately. All activities should be suspended until testing is complete.
  • Any player (or their family member) who tests positive will require all team activities and practices to be canceled for 14 days

What are the mandatory steps to be taken if there are confirmed cases?

  • Immediately isolate and seek medical care for any individual who develops symptoms while at the event and follow CDC guidelines.
  • Contact the local health district about suspected cases or exposures and employers should maintain the confidentiality of employee health information.
  • Shutdown any facility for deep cleaning and disinfection, if possible.
  • Use disinfectants outlined on EPA List N.

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What guidelines are recommended but not mandatory?

  • Parents or guardians should be discouraged from attending practice, but if they must, coaches and facility operators must require 6 feet of social distancing except for members of the same household.
  • Coaches/adult leaders and players should check their temperatures before participation in soccer activities and ask/administer screening questions about symptoms in participants or their household members.
  • Players are strongly encouraged not to travel with other members of the team and only members of their immediate households.
  • Post informational signs regarding social distancing, facial coverings, and what to do if symptomatic.
  • Promote healthy hygiene practices, such as hand washing as feasible.
  • Provide hand sanitizer stations.
  • Coaches and team managers should ensure that players are following COVID-19 related prevention measures included herein. 
  • Encourage social distancing through increased spacing, small groups, and limited mixing between groups, and staggered scheduling, arrival, and drop off, if feasible.
  • Promote healthy hygiene practices, such as hand washing wearing a cloth face covering, as feasible.
  • Facility, the team, and/or coaches should have bottled drinks on hand, in case a player forgets his or her water bottle.
  • Players should bring their own snacks; if snacks are provided, they should be individually packaged. 
  •  Where feasible, adjust activities and procedures to limit sharing of items such as toys, belongings, supplies, and equipment.
  • Train all coaches on health and safety protocols.
  • Balls shared during practice should be changed out every 30 minutes with cleaned and disinfected balls.
  • Before and after practice, teams should wash their hands for 20 seconds. If no handwashing station is available, then an appropriate hand sanitizer should be used.
  • For individuals with pre-existing medical condition, written clearance from their physician should be provided. The written clearance should note that the player can participate fully, and the activity is recommended.
  • Work with local health department to identify potentially infected or exposed individuals to help facilitate effective contact tracing/notifications.
  • Once testing is readily available, test all suspected infections or exposures.
  • Following testing, contact local health department to initiate appropriate care and tracing.

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