Arlington school is latest to shut down workouts after player tests positive for COVID-19
Arlington Martin High School is the latest to shut down summer strength and conditioning programs after a student-athlete tested positive for the coronavirus, the district announced Tuesday.
Martin becomes the second school in Dallas-Fort Worth to have a student test positive for COVID-19 after Burleson High School announced its shutdown on Friday. Burleson has since announced that it plans to restart workouts on June 22.
The district said in a statement, “[On Monday], Arlington ISD officials were notified that a student attending the strength and conditioning camp at Martin High School tested positive for COVID-19. With guidance from Tarrant County Public Health and Arlington Public Health Authority, the district has postponed the camp until all parents have been notified and contact tracing is completed. The facilities will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
“All students and staff do receive daily screenings and temperature checks and work out in small groups as outlined in the Texas Education Agency guidelines.”
More than 500 student-athletes at Martin reported for strength and conditioning programs last week.
According to University Interscholastic League guidelines, each player will be pre-screened at the start of every week of workouts while some school districts have elected to run temperature checks every day.
The district is not running tests for the virus.
The UIL began strength and conditioning on June 8, which included football, volleyball and basketball teams. It marked a return of high school sports after a three-month layoff due to COVID-19, which had canceled all activity on April 17.
Students must bring their own water bottle and stay six to 10 feet apart to practice social distancing.
The UIL loosened restrictions on June 9 that included larger group sizes from 15 to 25 outdoors and 10 to 15 indoors. It also bumped up indoor capacity from 25 to 50%. Those restrictions will start June 22.
West-Orange Stark, which is two hours east of Houston, was the first district to report a positive case on June 9.
Burleson programs shut down after learning a student had tested positive for COVID-19 following a vigil at the school on June 10 for 16-year-old athlete Tre Allison, who died in a car accident.
This story was originally published June 16, 2020 at 12:15 PM.
