FRESNO, California (KSEE) – Fresno County is closely monitoring high school contact sports when it comes to COVID-19 transmission, testing to find players who have the virus but do not show symptoms. It has forced some high school football games to be changed due to positive tests.
Clovis North was scheduled to play Clovis High School this Friday, but those plans have changed. Clovis High will be playing Madera High school instead.
Athletic Director for Madera Unified School District Marty Bitter said they test also their student-athletes for COVID-19.
“We tested on Monday,” said Bitter. We did a PCR test and what we do with that is they contact trace 48 hours prior if you do have a positive.”
Bitter said Madera High School did not have any of their student-athletes test positive this time around.
“Clovis North is where they had a little bit of the outbreak,” said Bitter. “So that left Clovis High, which had a negative test.”
Bitter said because Clovis North athletes tested positive, they couldn’t play at their next game against Clovis High School – leaving an opening for Clovis High to fill. Clovis High will now play Madera High School this Friday.
“We have one high school – Torres – that is not playing because of positive tests and they are still finishing up their protocol. But Madera High and Madera South all had negative tests,” said Bitter.
In a statement, Clovis Unified’s Kelly Avants said there have been some programs unable to play, or hold practice, due to positive tests.
Most recently we had one of our football programs who had some positive tests come back, but they certainly aren’t the first (and not the last either).