With the high school postseason just over a week away, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association is taking steps to allow more fans to attend sporting events in the state. The KHSAA announced Friday morning, that, effective immediately, all of the guidance limitations within the Governor’s orders on a variety of venues have been changed.
The venue recommendations for limitation will increase by a total of 10 percent. The increase means that the recommended maximum attendance threshold is increased to 25% of capacity effective Friday for indoor events hosted by member schools. The KHSAA notes that while this remains only guidance, “it is obviously in the best interest, legally and otherwise, of our member schools.” Universal masking remains required and “social distancing is to be consistently applied to the fullest extent possible.”
Guidance documents for spring outdoor events are expected to be revised in the coming days to reflect this change.
In a statement of clarification, the KHSAA adds that “some venues have been able to increase well above fifty percent under this latest order. But that order specifies that this can only be done only if All individuals in the venue or event space must be able to maintain six (6) feet of space from everyone who is not a member of their household. If the venue or event space is not able to maintain six (6) feet of space between attendees or households at capacity, the venue or event space must limit the number of individuals in the area or space to the greatest number that permits proper social distancing.”
Further, the KHSAA goes on to add that since this standard is “likely nearly impossible for high school venues to meet, with bleachers, most without a lot of marked spaces, and not nearly enough enforcement staff, as well as a desire to prioritize other, more pertinent issues at contests. Therefore the recommendations remain in place to cap indoor event attendance at 25%.”
