BVA approves return to sports

Mike Darnay / MVI Sports
Fall sports – including football, soccer, golf and cross country – are a go at Belle Vernon Area after the board approved a resolution during a special meeting Tuesday.

By CHRISTINE HAINES
chaines@yourmvi.com

The Belle Vernon Area School Board Tuesday in special session passed a resolution to continue with the district’s fall sports programs.
The board voted 8-1 in favor of the resolution, with director Rob Harhai casting the only dissenting vote, saying he was uncomfortable resuming fall sports because of the pandemic.
According to Superintendent Dr. Michele Dowell, to date there have been two COVID-19 cases among fall athletes, one each on the cheerleading squad and on the girls’ soccer team, with appropriate contact tracing and quarantine put into place in each instance.
“We wanted to be clear with the public that we would be moving forward with fall sports even though we are uncertain what’s going to happen,” Dowell said. “We’ve had to quarantine two full teams and part of a team. We are working with the Pennsylvania Department of Health, looking at who’s been in contact for more than 15 minutes or less than six feet. We’re following all the recommendations of the Pennsylvania Department of Health.”

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