COVID Safety Policy

Last updated December 1, 2021

Westwood Basketball Association is committed to providing a safe environment for our players and coaches.  We continue to carefully monitoring guidelines from the local Board of Health, Westwood Public Schools and both the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the MA Executive Office of Energy and Environment Affairs, which has jurisdiction over youth sports guidelines in Massachusetts.   

We will continue to have a zero tolerance policy for non-compliance to the WBA COVID Safety Policy this season.  If you can not or will not comply with the policies set forth, please do not register your child to play. 

• If the player has any symptoms, including but not limited to a fever, sore throat, difficulty breathing, loss of taste/smell, muscle aches, fatigue, or headache, we ask that you keep your player home and notify board@westwoodbasketball.org immediately. 
• If your player or anyone in your household is awaiting the results of a COVID test, you should keep your player at home.
• Players and coaches will be required to wear masks at clinics, practices, and games.  
• Spectators will not be allowed in the facilities where only travel practices and clinics will take place.  At this time, Westwood schools are allowing spectators to attend events, including all in-town Saturday activities.  In order to ensure proper social distancing, only immediate family or household members should attend in-town games and we ask that you limit it to 2 persons at all gyms except for the High School. 
• Players will be required to bring their own basketball to in-town games, any travel practices and/or clinics.
• Players should consider bringing their own hand sanitizer to games.  Players are asked to sanitize their hands upon entering and exiting a game.

If your child is exhibiting COVID symptoms, please contact your Head Coach and the WBA at board@westwoodbasketball.org and president@westwoodbasketball.org immediately.  We are committed to providing a safe environment for our kids.  We can answer any questions you may have now or during the season.  

The Board of Health has provided us with guidance updates as of 11/30/21 as follows based on 11/20/21 as a sample date to understand how testing/quarantine and return would work:

The Westwood Schools "test and stay" protocol will not apply community exposures such as in-town or travel basketball

Re: Covid-19 Exposure 11/20/21 Game/Practice:

Your child has been identified as a close contact of a Covid-19 positive case at a basketball game on 11/20/21.  After consulting with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health we are responding to provide you with written guidance for Quarantine.  During this time of Quarantine, your child may not attend school, sports or other events.  Community exposures are not eligible for school “test and stay” protocols, per DESE guidance and will need to quarantine.  As long as your child remains asymptomatic (no symptoms), does not test positive for Covid-19, and has no new exposures, your child has the following options to exit quarantine:

Quarantine Options:

-Contacts must move all the way thru the last date for release

-Last day of exposure = day 0 for counting  

1-SHORTEST OPTION- WITNESSED TESTING REQUIRED:

a)-IF YOU HAVE NO SYMPTOMS OR ADDITIONAL EXPOSURES, you may test on day 5 of your last exposure date but need to remain in quarantine for a full 7 days and may discontinue quarantine on day 8 IF you receive a negative test result AND CONTINUE TO NOT HAVE SYMPTOMS or new exposures. You must continue to monitor your symptoms for the full 14 days.  (Test Day 5= 11/25/21; day 8= 11/28/21).

**(WITNESSED Antigen or PCR tests are acceptable. At home, “unwitnessed” tests do not qualify for this early release option).

Please also note that while many businesses/institutions/schools do not currently require a negative test prior to return from quarantine, some may follow different rules and more limited quarantine options.  You will need to contact them directly for specific guidance.  Release from Quarantine with testing day 5 for day 8 release will require a negative test to return to school.

2-LONGER OPTIONS, REQUIRES NO TESTING:

b)-14 days from exposure OR (date OK to leave: 12/05/21)

c)-*10 days, provided your child has not had any symptoms; (date OK to leave: 12/01/21/; you must continue to monitor symptoms for the full 14 days. 

If you have not already done so, testing is recommended for Covid-19, ASAP after an exposure.  This test can serve as a baseline but will not release you from quarantine if done before day 5 even if negative.  Please visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/stop-the-spread for testing sites near you. You must remain in quarantine until the any of the above criteria has been met.

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If Your Child Is Fully Vaccinated:

Please contact your Local Board of Health (781-251-2576) for additional guidance and your primary care physician for specific guidance related to your health.