Santa Clara County To Allow Youth Sports, More Outdoor Activities

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA — Santa Clara County will allow youth sports and other outdoor activities to resume Friday as COVID-19 case rates continue to fall.

The restrictions lifted, in addition to youth sports, will encompass performing arts and enrichment activities that take place outdoors. The county will also relax restrictions on outdoor gatherings of all kinds.

Santa Clara County remains in the purple, most restrictive tier in the state’s COVID-19 blueprint along with much of the state, but California lifted restrictions on youth sports last week as case counts have fallen statewide.

In a statement on Monday, Santa Clara County Public Health Officer Dr. Sara Cody said that the county recognizes the toll of the pandemic on mental health and “the need to balance the risk of COVID with other human needs.”

“Children and adults alike need to participate in the many activities that support their mental, physical, and social wellbeing,” Cody said. “We know that the state has made rapid changes to its rules on athletic activities. It is important that changes are consistent across the board. We recognize the importance of all outdoor activities — athletic and non-athletic — to our health and are seeking to allow as much as we can given current levels of community transmission.”

The county will issue revised directives in the next few days.