DENISON, Texas (KTEN) - Since Gov. Greg Abbott lifted the mask mandate in Texas, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) provided an update to their COVID-19 guidelines. Below is their statement with changes:

 The following guidance related to UIL activities, based on the public health situation as we understand it today, applies to the 2020-2021 school year. This guidance is effective March 10, 2021. Changes to the public health situation in the coming months may necessitate changes to this guidance.

UIL will continue to work with state officials and monitor CDC and other federal guidance to determine any potential modifications that may become necessary. Schools should be prepared for the possibility of interruptions in contest schedules. District Executive Committees should work and plan to accommodate, as best possible, for these interruptions.  

These guidelines are in addition to guidance issued by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and intended to be implemented along with TEA guidance, which applies to academic and extracurricular non-UIL activities. The information below includes a requirement for schools to develop a plan for mitigating risk of COVID-19 spread during UIL activities. Schools should take their local context into account and follow all state requirements when considering UIL activities. UIL recommends that schools consult with their local public health authorities and local legal counsel before making final decisions regarding the implementation of this guidance.

It is recommended that each school identify a staff member or group of staff members to serve as compliance officer(s) to oversee effective use of these protocols. Schools must follow all requirements of state authorities in addition to the requirements below.

Face Coverings- Executive Order GA-34

As the public health situation changes, and/or if subsequent Executive Orders are issued by Governor Greg Abbott, these guidelines may be further modified.

1. For the purposes of this document, face coverings include non-medical grade disposable face masks, cloth face coverings (over the nose and mouth). Where masks are required, full-face shields may be used in place of a mask to protect eyes, nose, and mouth whenever a mask is not feasible or whenever the educational/competitive context may benefit from the ability to see an individual’s full face. 

2. Schools must comply with the following requirements:

  • Every student, teacher, or staff member shall wear a mask over the nose and mouth upon entry to an area where UIL activities are being conducted and when not actively practicing or participating in the contest, wherever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household, unless an exception listed below applies:
    • Any person younger than 10 years of age, except where a school system determines it is developmentally appropriate;
    • Any person with a medical condition or disability that prevents wearing a mask;
    • Any person while the person is consuming food or drink, or is seated in a dining area to eat or drink;
    • Any person while the person is: (a) exercising outdoors or engaging in physical activity outdoors; and (b) maintaining a safe distance from other people not in the same household; or
    • Any person while the person is giving a speech for a broadcast or to an audience; or
  • The above mask-wearing requirements do not apply to any school system that was exempted from the face covering requirements of Executive Order GA-29 during its effect due to a county judge attestation filed with the Texas Division of Emergency Management.
  • The above mask-related requirements may be modified or eliminated by the formal action of the governing board of a school system.

3. In addition to the mask-wearing requirements listed above, school systems may require the use of masks or face shields for adults or students for whom it is developmentally appropriate. 

4. It may be impractical for students to wear masks or face shields while participating in some UIL athletic activities. In situations where masks are required by this guidance and when it is impractical for students to wear masks or face shields during those activities in which masks are required by this guidance or a school system’s governing board, schools must require students, teachers, staff, and visitors to wear masks or face shields when entering and exiting facilities and practice areas and when not actively engaging in those activities. Schools may, for example, allow students who are actively exercising to remove masks or face shields, as long as they maintain at least six feet of distance from other students, teachers, and staff who are not wearing masks or face shields. However, schools must require students, teachers, and staff to wear masks or face shields, where masks are required by this guidance or a school system’s governing board, as they arrange themselves in positions that will allow them to maintain safe distancing.

General Operational Guidelines

REQUIRED OF ALL SCHOOLS:
TEA requires all school systems to develop a plan for mitigating COVID-19 spread in schools. UIL guidelines require schools to include UIL activities for the 2020-2021 school year as part of this plan and carefully plan for mitigating risk of spread as students and staff participate in them. Schools must post these plans on the homepage of the school website or other easily accessible area of the school website. These plans do not require UIL or TEA approval.

PREVENT: Practices to Prevent the Virus from Entering the School

Stay-at-Home Period for Close Contacts of Individuals Who Tested Positive

For individuals who are close contacts to individuals who tested positive, a 14-day stay-at-home period was previously advised by the CDC based on the incubation period of the virus.

As of December 2, 2020, the CDC amended their guidance to allow two shorter options for the stay-at-home period. Based on current CDC guidance, the stay-at-home period can end for individuals experiencing no symptoms:

  • On Day 10 after close contact exposure without testing,
  • On Day 7 after close contact exposure and after receiving a negative test result.

If individuals return to school from these shorter stay-at-home windows, they should regularly monitor themselves for symptoms to ensure they remain symptom-free and take appropriate precautions (e.g., more consistent mask usage) for the duration of the 14-day incubation period.

Finally, the CDC has also advised that critical infrastructure services—which includes schools—may permit close contact staff members who are asymptomatic to continue to work in select instances when it is necessary to preserve school operations. Per the CDC, this option should be used only in limited circumstances. When using this option, school systems may consider adding additional protocols to increase monitoring for these individuals, which might include the use of COVID-19 tests (e.g., on Day 3 and/or Day 7 after the close contact exposure).