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The State Department of Health announced a coronavirus outbreak linked to last week’s 48th Louisiana Classic Wrestling Tournament in Gonzales, saying the department had received more than 20 reports from athletes, staff and of participants who tested positive for COVID-19.
About 400 wrestlers participated in the two-day event at the Lamar-Dixon Exhibition Center.
Officials said anyone who has attended the tournament at one time or another should consider themselves exposed to the virus and should get tested immediately even if they do not have symptoms.
They added that everyone who attended the tournament should be quarantined to prevent further spread.
Photos and videos taken by The Advocate during the tournament show that social distancing was not enforced and that some spectators wore face masks, many were not.
A senior LHSAA official issued a note to all LHSAA wrestling schools on Friday, informing them that several student-athletes involved in the tournament had recently tested positive for COVID-19.
In the meantime, some LHSAA wrestling events were going as planned this weekend.
“Obviously, it’s extremely complicated,” Deputy Executive Director Adam MacDowell said Friday evening, before the LDH issued its guidelines. “As soon as I have documents from the LDH, I will send them to our member schools for further guidance.”
Meanwhile, said MacDowell, who wrote the memo and coordinates the LHSAA fight, some wrestling events have continued.
“What we advise at this point, without having any additional communication with LDH, is that each school and each school program contact their local regional health director and go through their protocols if they have participated in this tournament ( Louisiana Classic), ”said MacDowell. “I know there are a number of double competitions and tournaments that have been canceled. But I also know that some are still at stake. ”
The LHSAA advising schools to contact local health department officials follows protocol that began over the summer, when member schools began practicing for fall sports after the lockdown last spring which anchored all of the LHSAA’s spring sports.
Although competitions in volleyball, football, soccer and basketball have been called off either by cases of COVID or by contact tracing, most have involved a small number of schools. The Louisiana Classic featured schools across the state. Spectators were only allowed on the second day when fewer competitors were involved.
MacDowell cited John Curtis as an example of a school moving forward with their Saturday wrestling tournament. MacDowell said officials at Curtis told him they contacted local health officials and were allowed to participate. The Lafayette parish wrestling duels also took place on Saturday as scheduled.
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