At this time last year, shortly before the first cases of COVID-19 surfaced here, health officials urged the public to brace for an outbreak of infection.
What soon followed were the first rounds of drastic public-health proclamations and emergency orders. Among them: “stay at home/work at home” directives; school campus closures, and the pivot to virtual classrooms. Even beach access was limited to a quick traversing to and from waters for physically distanced “ocean activity,” such as swimming or surfing.
Amid early efforts to flatten the coronavirus curve, Hawaii officials rightly advised that battling COVID-19 was shaping up as a marathon — not a sprint. Now, with Tier 3 status relaxing some restrictions on Oahu, we must hold that slow-but-steady pace of a long run.
Among the reopenings since Thursday: social gatherings of up to 10 people in places like restaurants and parks; also, outdoor sports requiring no permit can have up to 10 people.
Given the yearlong void the pandemic has created in regard to sports — particularly to youth athletics — it’s heartening that Mayor Rick Blangiardi is now seeking Gov. David Ige’s approval to tweak Oahu’s tier lineup to sooner allow outdoor organized teams and leagues, which are currently not allowed under Tier 3.
In its recent guidance for youth sports, the state Department of Health (DOH) references the American Academy of Pediatrics, which stresses the physical and psychological health benefits for children and teens — rightly pointing out that in addition to fitness gains, kids benefit from relationships with teammates and coaches, and a structured routine.
The DOH further noted: “These benefits must be balanced by the risks involved in the role youth sports play in the transmission of infection,” such as through exposure to respiratory droplets. Agreed. And due to Oahu’s relatively low transmission rates, with proper assessment of risk — along with strict adherence to virus-related protocols — outdoor leagues and teams should now be allowed to resume play.
While sports associated with educational institutions are not included in the city’s tiered reopening chart, a recent basketball event in which boys and girls teams at two private schools, Hawaii Baptist Academy and Kamehameha, faced off offered a glimpse at safety-focused tactics that Little League coaches and others should consider.
During play, athletes, coaches and officials were masked up. Physical distancing was imposed on the bench as well as during team huddles and timeouts. Plus, the ball was periodically changed out. The event was not open to spectators, but streamed live online.
In addition to requiring compliance with local and state emergency orders, the city should insist that organized team sports and leagues maintain participation logs that can be used for contact tracing, and impose a no-spectator rule. Youth sports coaches can monitor their teams for safe play, but also policing physical distancing among parents and other spectators would be too daunting a task.
After some four months at Tier 2 on Oahu’s reopening strategy chart, Thursday’s move up was based on back-to-back weeks in which the city’s seven-day average of new cases was below 50, with the average positivity rate below 2.5%. With further decreases, we could ascend to Tier 4, as soon as March 25.
But first things first. The start of Tier 3 and the possible return of organized outdoor sports are welcome gains. However, as Oahu moves forward, keep in mind the DOH warning that the COVID-19 pandemic is “dynamic.” Backsliding to higher transmission rates could return us to Tier 2 in a matter of weeks. Vigilance and good habits must continue.
