Outdoor full-contact sports will be returning for high school and small college student-athletes after Gov. Kate Brown announced in a press release Wednesday that she has lifted restrictions.

The new regulations will allow counties at all risk levels to compete in outdoor contact sports, although extra health and safety protocols will be required for schools in counties at high or extreme risk levels.

Schools in extreme or high risk counties can opt-in for resuming outdoor contact sports, but must provide on site responsive testing for symptomatic individuals and close contacts. Schools must also collect contact information for contact tracing and a waiver identifying health and safety risks and a commitment to isolation and quarantine is exposed to COVID-19.

“We need to figure out what those schools need to do,” said Peter Weber, executive director of the Oregon School Activities Association. “To opt in, what does that look like? And how can we assist our schools in making that happen? We need the details when those are out there so we can put it into place.”

Schools in extreme and high risk counties must also have at least limited in-person instruction occurring, with the goal of achieving hybrid or full in-person instruction for students this school year.

Oregon’s Division-II, Division-III and NAIA schools will also be able to submit health and safety plans to resume college athletics, similar to the Division-I schools.

The new guidelines do not ease restrictions on indoor sports. Volleyball is still limited to competition only in counties outside of the extreme risk category. Basketball and wrestling are also still prohibited.

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