Hopkinsville High School has canceled its next two football games and quarantined approximately 30 players after a Calloway County High School football player tested positive on Saturday for coronavirus. The two teams played in a football game Friday night in Murray.
“Based on discussions with the Christian County Health Department, Hopkinsville players who came into contact with the Calloway County player will be quarantined through Oct. 9th,” Christian County Public Schools spokesman John Rittenhouse said in a news release Monday.
Christian County Health Director Kayla Bebout on Wednesday called on the community to take the threat of COVID-19 more seriously and issued new guidance that included a recommendation to discontinue athletic activities through Oct. 2. The Kentucky High School Athletic Association has also outlined guidance asking districts to suspend all school-related athletic and extracurricular activities for seven days in communities where the incidence COVID-19 exceeds 25 average daily cases per 100,000 population. Christian County’s incidence rate exceeded 25 for six of the eight days preceding Friday’s game.
Despite urging from local and state officials, CCPS Superintendent Chris Bentzel has continued with in-person instruction and athletic activities, saying the district can best protect students if they are in school. Christian County’s three private schools have also opted to continue sports activities.
- RELATED: Hopkinsville girls soccer, cheerleading suspended and HHS-CCHS football game postponed after students test positive for coronavirus
- COVID-19 Data: See the latest coronavirus case numbers & data for Christian County
The team’s next two games scheduled for Oct. 2 against Logan County and Oct. 9 against Madisonville-North Hopkins will either be canceled or postponed.
According to its COVID-19 dashboard, the district had one active staff case and 13 active student cases as of 2 p.m. Monday. The number of students under quarantine was 121, and three staff members were quarantined.
(Julia Hunter is the engagement editor for Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at Julia_Hunter622@hotmail.com.)
Julia Hunter is the engagement editor for Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at julia@hoptownchronicle.org.
