Anchorage School District postpones start of fall sports until at least Aug. 5

The Bartlett High School Golden Bears face off against the Chugiak Mustangs at Mulcahey Field in Anchorage for the 2017 state football semi-final. (Casey Grove/Alaska Public Media)

The Anchorage School District has postponed the start of fall sports until at least Aug. 5 as the number of coronavirus infections in the municipality and the state continues to grow.

The district is also prohibiting any pre-season, in-person contact between coaches and athletes. School sports were originally scheduled to begin July 29. 

RELATED: Anchorage Schools superintendent says ‘high probability’ students will attend all classes online next month

“In keeping with the District’s process for monitoring athletics and academics, we will continue to monitor the numbers daily and make a determination every two weeks about the ongoing status of fall sports and activities,” the district said in a statement Wednesday. 

The district’s announcement comes as the Anchorage mayor reinstates limitations on bars, restaurants and other businesses. 

The Anchorage School District is also preparing for the “high probability” that it will begin the school year on Aug. 20 with online-only classes. 

The district’s plan says if the municipality logs an average of 30 or more cases a day over a two-week span, it will move to all online learning. By Wednesday, that average had reached 29. 

LISTEN: How are recreational and high school sports leagues around Alaska adapting to the changes that come with competing during a pandemic?

Tegan Hanlon is the digital managing editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach her at thanlon@alaskapublic.org or 907-550-8447. Read more about Tegan here.

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