NJSIAA Lifts Mask Requirement For Outdoor High School Sports

Toms River NJ

18 May, 2021

1:22 PM

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NEW JERSEY — Athletes, coaches and spectators at outdoor high school sports no longer have to wear masks at those events as the COVID-19 pandemic eases in New Jersey, the NJSIAA announced Tuesday. The change in the mask policy by the New Jersey Interstate Athletic Association comes in response to the change announced by Gov. Phil Murphy to the state's mask requirements in the pandemic, the association said in a tweet. Masks are no longer required outdoors in New Jersey for people whether they are vaccinated or not, even when they cannot socially distance 6 feet apart, though people who are not vaccinated are still urged to wear them out of an abundance of caution, Murphy said Friday. "Effective immediately, NJSIAA will no longer require spectators, coaches, officials, student-athletes and all participants involved in outdoor events to wear masks. However, member schools are permitted to impose stricter mask requirements at their discretion," the NJSIAA said. Masks at indoor sporting events are still required, the NJSIAA said. NJSIAA Executive Order No. 241 Update: pic.twitter.com/YkzcJ0ft0C— NJSIAA (@NJSIAA) May 18, 2021 And we agree that vaccinated people don't need to wear masks outdoors. We'll still strongly urge unvaccinated people to wear them in crowded settings if they can't social distance, and businesses do still have the right to insist on stricter mask policies.— Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) May 14, 2021 Murphy also has lifted the ban on outdoor interstate sports competitions, and outdoor gathering limits will no longer be in effect beginning Wednesday. Those changes take effect just in time for the high school baseball and softball state tournaments, which begin just after Memorial Day this year, as part of the effort to ensure spring athletes who lost their 2020 seasons are able to have full sports seasons this year. Click here to get Patch email notifications, or download our app to have breaking news alerts sent right to your phone. Have a news tip? Email [email protected]