Two months ago the children and youth of the Anahuak Youth Sports Association returned to train and play soccer at the Los Angeles River State Park in the Glassell Park neighborhood of Los Angeles.
“We did not play for more than a year due to the pandemic. Many children got fat and got big balls due to the lack of physical activity, “said Raúl Macias, founder and director of the Anahuak Youth Sports Association, an organization that promotes soccer among children under 4 years of age 17 years in Los Angeles.
“From 1, 500, 1,600 children we have have returned to play as 600 because there is still fear of the covid “he said.
He specified that parents are asked to maintain social distance. “And we take the children’s temperature, we give them gel and they have to play with a mask.”
Fortunately, he mentioned that they have not had no case or contagion of covid among the minor soccer players since they returned to the fields.
“I do not understand why so much resistance and absurd questions towards vaccines and make it a political issue. I am from a generation in Mexico that to enter school, the first thing they asked you for was your vaccination card. If not, you didn’t have access to classes. ”
Los County Health Department Angeles, announced that they updated the anti-covid regulation for sports where young people and children participate.
“The county continues to recommend weekly tests for unvaccinated athletes, staff, coaches and volunteers, and this includes child players older than 12 years without vaccination ”, they indicated in a statement .
No exams are required for children under 12 years playing outdoor sports.
“ T Fully vaccinated young people who play sports outdoors do not need to be tested every week, unless there is a positive case among players, coaches or staff ”.
This means that even vaccinated, if a covid case occurs, everyone must take a covid test every week for two weeks, and must test negative before any competition.
“These requirements can be modified based on the availability of the vaccine and access to tests, and will be evaluated when community transmission is not high.”
Monse Urías said that his child Sebastián April 12 years ago, he returned to playing soccer in Long Beach about a month and a half ago, after not playing the sport for over a year to cause of the pandemic.
“My son is already vaccinated and most of the child players as well as the parents. We know this because the information on the vaccination status is shared among everyone. ”
He also said that children play with their masks on. “My son wears two, because since they sweat a lot, he has to change it and put another one on.”
She mentioned that she feels calm because they have not known of any case of contagion in her son’s soccer team. “I accepted that he returned to play, after Sebastián was vaccinated. And I feel calmer because he suffers from asthma, and once vaccinated, he has less risk of contagion. ”
The director of Public Health of the Los Angeles County, Barbara Ferrer, thanked schools, districts, youth sports programs, and parents who have worked hard to ensure the safety of students, teachers, athletes, and staff.
“It is very important that whoever tests positive for covid – 19, isolate himself from others and masks are used appropriately indoors, which includes bystanders, coaches and employees regardless of vaccination status. ”
Indicated that the best protection for all athletes over 12 years, and the coaches and staff, is to get vaccinated.
The adolescents of 12 years or more can receive the Pfizer vaccine in any county and city without an appointment, he recalled.
“Many school districts and individual schools will be offering immunizations for the next several weeks.”
And also the LAUSD, with more than 45 schools in operation , will launch a mobile vaccine campaign in all middle and high schools in its district.
If you want to know more about the sports regulations during the pandemic, visit:
http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/media/Coronavirus/docs/protocols/ Reopening_YouthSports.pdf