Athletes, coaches and other personnel in New York City public schools must be vaccinated for coronavirus to play some sports, including football, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, lacrosse, rugby and bowling, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Friday morning.
The city mandate, which covers 20,000 people in the Public Schools Athletic League, requires that the first dose be completed by the first day of competitive play, which varies by sport, according to a memo sent by the city’s Department of Education.
Earlier this week, the city league’s counterparts on Long Island said public school districts could issue their own mandates but there would be no Islandwide mandate when practices for fall sports begin on Monday, the executive directors of Nassau and Suffolk said Wednesday.
Speaking on his weekly appearance on WNYC’s “Brian Lehrer Show,” de Blasio said: “We want to make sure our athletes are safe, given, particularly, the nature of these sports, and so we’re putting that mandate in place.”
Requirements would be tougher for athletic personnel than for others in the Department of Education, such as classroom teachers, who have the option of being tested weekly for the virus instead of being vaccinated.
The policy covers “high-risk sports” — football and volleyball in the fall; basketball and wrestling in the winter; lacrosse, stunt, and rugby in the spring.
“In addition, vaccination will be required for bowling, because while not high-risk, it takes place in spaces that require vaccination,” the memo said. “Fully vaccinated participants can remove their masks while engaging in high-risk PSAL activities held outdoors.”
The first day of competitive play varies by sport. It’s Sept. 3 for football, and Sept. 27 for volleyball, the memo says.
Check back for more on this developing story.
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