Second-biggest city in Massachusetts postpones fall high school sports season

One of the largest cities in Massachusetts has decided to postpone its fall high school sports season because of the community’s high COVID-19 transmission rate.

Worcester officials said on Thursday that fall high school sports including football, soccer and field hockey could now be played an abbreviated season known as “Fall II” scheduled to begin in February.

Worcester is one of 40 Massachusetts communities that have been deemed high-risk spots for contracting COVID-19 by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. In order for a community to be considered a “high-risk” area, the city’s average daily case rate is higher than eight positive cases per 1,000 residents.

“We were going to wait to get a few more weeks of data before we made our decision about sports. However, due to the increasing level of coronavirus in Worcester, Worcester Public Schools will be canceling sports for the fall,” Superintendent Maureen Binienda said, per CBS Boston. “Also, all fall sports and all practices are canceled. Fall sports, following the MIAA guidelines and DESE guidelines will now move to Fall II.”

Worcester’s decision to postpone fall sports impacts six public schools and two parochial institutions.