ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY — Three high school football programs in Anne Arundel County are being shutdown because of COVID-19.
South River High will cease in-person activities and games for the remainder of the season for both its varsity and JV football teams, which ends on April 16.
“Shutting down our football program was a difficult but necessary decision made in the best interests of the health and safety of our students and staff and only after thorough contact tracing,” South River principal Stacey Smith wrote in a letter to parents of football players Thursday. “It is important to understand that we are in the midst of a pandemic. All of our programs take the necessary precautions in order to operate and no one is at fault for the spread of this virus. It is in a time like this that we all must support each other, and I know that we will do that.”
The school was made aware that a student-athlete in the football program tested positive for COVID-19.
The student-athlete practiced on Monday and was last in the school building on Tuesday. Separate from that case, a student at the school also tested positive for COVID-19.
That student was last in the school building on March 29, but the cases are not related.
Northeast High School’s varsity and JV teams were shut down on Wednesday. They were also made aware that a member of their football program tested positive for COVID-19.
That student-athlete last practiced on April 2 and was last in the school building on March 30.
"Because of the number of cases in our football program over the last several days, the Department of Health has advised us that the safest course of action for the health and safety of our students and staff is to cease the in-person operation of the entire football program for the remainder of the season, which culminates on April 16, 2021," said Northeast principal Jason Williams.
Glen Burnie’s varsity team had announced a positive case on Tuesday that resulted in the entire team entering a 14-day quarantine period.
The earliest the varsity football team will be able to gather for in-person activities again will be April 16.
