OLYMPIA — State Department of Health authorities say nearly 100 COVID-19 cases have been linked to recent high school wrestling tournaments, including transmission of the Omicron variant.
The Department of Health, along with local health jurisdictions, started by investigating several outbreaks among unvaccinated and vaccinated people.
Between 80 and 90 cases have been linked to the tournaments held Dec. 4 with the Omicron variant detected among the positive test results, according to Dr. Scott Lundquist, state epidemiologist for communicable diseases.
No Olympic Peninsula wrestling teams competed in any of the identified events that resulted in COVID transmission.
They were the John Birbeck Invitational in Lacey, Yelm Girls Varsity in Yelm, Ed Arima Duals in Sumner and the Lady Jags Kickoff Tournament in Puyallup.
The state health department said counties that had high schools at the tournaments were Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, King, Kitsap, Lewis, Mason, Skagit, Snohomish, Pierce, Thurston, Whatcom and Yakima.
There was also one Oregon high school with participants.
Olympic Peninsula wrestling teams were at a tournament based in Forks on Dec. 4.
A Port Angeles dual today in Belfair against North Mason was postponed, while Sequim is scheduled to wrestle in Kingston and East Jefferson is at Klahowya today.
Lindquist or the WIAA did not announce a pause on prep wrestling, but did mention that “it doesn’t look good” for the WIAA to hold the state wrestling tournament, the Mat Classic, in February.
Altering health guidelines for the sport does appear to be in the cards, and those changes could make their way to other indoor sports such as basketball, gymnastics, swimming and bowling.
The WIAA planned more meetings Wednesday to discuss the situation.
Authorities say anyone who attended the tournaments should monitor for symptoms and get tested for COVID-19. Anyone with symptoms or who tests positive should stay home.
Officials said they will send out notifications to those directly impacted soon.
