High school sports have returned to Wright County and throughout the state and the Minnesota State High School League has announced guidelines for attendees at indoor events for the 2020-21 school year, ranging from sports events to plays to band concerts.

In its announcement, MSHSL stated that it will allow a maximum of 250 people or 25 percent of the size of the venue for indoor competitions and events. The guidance only pertains to events held inside school buildings. Events at other venues will have to make their decisions pertaining to attendance restrictions.

Among the guideline requirements are:

• Each sports team can allow two spectators per participant and spectators must be separated by at least six feet between household groups.
• The event space can’t exceed 25 percent of the facility’s total seating capacity.
• If spectators and participants can be separated by 12 feet or more, the participants don’t need to be included in the total capacity county. If they can’t be separated by that distance, participants are added to the count.
• The venue can’t exceed 250 people.
• Spectators can only attend official competitions and events.
• If participants are young children who need the assistance of adults, they can have one support person per participant.
• School districts and charter schools must require an advanced reservation. No walk-in admittance will be allowed.
• Names, phone numbers and/or email addresses must be collected as part of the reservation to do contact tracing if someone develops COVID-19.
• Schools must schedule longer arrival times to minimize spectators waiting together. They must also stagger admission times, entry times and duration to minimize overlaps between spectators.

During these uncertain times as confirmed cases of COVID-19 fluctuate, the MSHSL is attempting to make it possible for students and parents alike to attempt some sense of normalcy at a time when “the new normal” is being redefined all the time. The rules are rigid, but it is a sign of things trying to get back, in some small way, to the way things were pre-COVID.