PORT ANGELES — The Peninsula College women’s basketball team has canceled its next three games due to confirmed cases of COVID-19.
The outbreak was up to five confirmed cases on Wednesday, according to Dr. Allison Berry, Clallam County health officer.
She would not confirm the basketball team outbreak was in the women’s team at Peninsula College.
“We try to not specify where our cases are,” Berry said. “I can tell you that everyone who was exposed has been contacted and put in quarantine.
“We certainly know that basketball is a high-risk sport for COVID-19 transmission. It’s just lots of people working out indoors together.”
Peninsula College confirmed Tuesday evening that the cancellations were due to COVID-19 protocols.
“We received a report of positive COVID test(s) so per [Northwest Athletic Conference] protocol the games were canceled. We are following protocols from NWAC and our local health officials,” said Keri Desser, communication coordinator/public information officer for Peninsula College.
The NWAC testing protocol calls for basketball players to be tested in advance of each game since basketball is categorized as a high-risk sport by the state Department of Health.
The women’s next three games were at Olympic College on Wednesday, at home Saturday against Bellevue College and on April 14 at Whatcom Community College.
Their next scheduled game will be at home against Skagit Valley College on April 17.
The Peninsula men’s team will go ahead and play Edmonds College on Wednesday and will play at home at 4 p.m. Saturday against Bellevue College. Fans will not be permitted in the gym at that game, nor at the men’s and women’s games against Skagit Valley in Port Angeles on April 17.
Limited fan access may be allowed again later in April, the school announced.
If fans want to watch the games, they will be livestreamed on the NWAC Sports Network at www.nwacsportsnetwork.com.
