By By: Kaylee Darnell
Sports Editor
With the constant changing and variations of COVID-19, students of IUSB are becoming more accustomed to the everchanging mask policies and guidelines that the university is implementing. Along with students and faculty in the classroom, athletes of IUSB have to abide by even more rules in order to keep themselves and their seasons safe.
Per Indiana University policy, all students, visitors, faculty and staff are required to wear a mask regardless of vaccination status. Along with this, the mask cannot be a cloth mask; it must be either a surgical mask or a KN95 mask.
As of Jan 8, all student athletes, staff, and coaches are required to wear a mask at all times during practice, conditioning and lifting indoors. Regardless of vaccination status for athletes, they are required to have weekly PCR tests, unless positive for COVID-19 in the last 90 days.
For any athletes that are placed as a close contact to someone who recently tested positive, they are reported by the student-athlete or a coach and are notified to the athletic training staff. If placed on the close contact list but the individual is vaccinated, they will get weekly texts from IU COVID check having you report your weekly symptoms. If placed on the close contact list but the individual is not vaccinated, they are required to self-quarantine for at least five days and have no symptoms. They are allowed to return to campus on the sixth day with a negative PCR test.
If an athlete were to test positive for COVID-19, they are required to self-quarantine for at least five days and be fever free for 24 hours. They must also report a negative PCR test on the sixth day. Once the athlete is free from COVID they must go through a return-to-play system with the athletic trainers to make sure they are fully healthy and able to participate in full-team practices. This return-to-play system lasts between four and seven days, depending on the athlete’s progression. Along with this, a heart-screening is normally required by a cardiologist before being fully cleared to play and practice.
Two of IUSB’s sports teams, men’s and women’s basketball, are in the midst of their season, and are both having to adhere to the new masks policies and COVID guidelines. Both teams are required to wear a mask when practicing, conditioning and lifting. They must wear a mask on the bus to away games and overnight trips, as well as anytime during warmups before the games and any time they are at the school’s Student Activity Center.
With the constant changing of COVID-19, these rules may change day-by-day. Coaches, staff and athletic trainers are doing what they can to keep up with the rules set in by Indiana University and by IUSB to keep their athletes best informed, and to keep their season intact. These are the most updated rules and policies as of Jan. 21, 2022.
For other information regarding sports, athletes or athlete COVID policies, go online to https://iusbtitans.com/.
