The Minnesota Department of Health has issued new guidance concerning youth sports participation amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The new guidance recommends resumption of games and scrimmages for outdoor sports on June 24th or later, while outdoor sports should wait until July 1st or later. State health officials say the new guidance attempts to balance the goals of minimizing the risk of disease transmission while allowing young people to afford themselves of important physical, emotional, and social benefits by engaging in sports activities.

“It is important that we look for opportunities to allow children to engage in activities that promote health and well-being,” Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said. “While several key metrics show COVID-19 transmission is slowing, we are still in the middle of a pandemic. Learning to live with COVID-19 means finding ways to balance risks and benefits, and that’s what we are seeking to do with this guidance.”

A news release says, as of today, teams can begin returning to competition by following the Department of Health guidance, which conforms to the recommendations of many national sports organizations. It suggests the return to competition in a phased approach starting with individual development, followed by intra-team scrimmages, and then inter-team games.

More information is available through the Minnesota Department of Health website.

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