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The Louisiana Classic Wrestling Tournament was held earlier this month at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, a town about 59 miles west of New Orleans. Students, parents and school staff from across the state gathered for two days to watch high school wrestling matches.
“Anyone who has attended the tournament at one time or another – January 15 or January 16 – should consider themselves exposed to COVID-19,” the Louisiana Department of Health statement said.
Photos from the event released by the Acadiana Advocate show inconsistent mask use among attendees, many of whom were seated close to each other. The newspaper reports that around 400 wrestlers took part.
Ascension Parish, where the wrestling tournament took place, is at “highest risk” for Covid-19, according to the state’s health department’s coronavirus case tracking. The parish has seen nearly 10,000 cases of Covid-19 among its 126,600 and more residents.
CNN has reached out to the Louisiana High School Athletic Association and the Lamar Dixon Expo Center for their comment and is awaiting a response.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention generally advises against attending indoor events during the pandemic. In its guidelines for youth sports, the CDC specifically names wrestling as a sport that requires players to be within six feet of each other. For wrestling matches during the pandemic, the CDC advises modifying the game to avoid competition altogether.
If sporting events must take place indoors, says the CDC, they should only take place in well-ventilated buildings. Participants indoors should stay a great distance from each other and wear masks, according to the CDC.
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