Orange County is suspending all county-run youth sports leagues effective immediately.
Mayor Jerry Demings announced the move during a regular briefing on Thursday, noting that the COVID-19 positivity rate in the county was above 20 percent. The previous benchmark for removing mask mandates and social distancing guidelines in the county was five percent.
While vaccination numbers have been climbing in Orange County, the children who take part in many county-run youth sports are not eligible for vaccination.
“Due to the spike in the COVID cases and the fact that our residents ages 11 and under are not eligible for a vaccine, all county-run youth sports leagues, including games and practices, are suspended until further notice,” Demings said.
Seventeen people have died from coronavirus in the county this week, including seven people who were vaccinated. The vaccinated people had pre-existing conditions by and large that would make them more susceptible to the virus, per the county.
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This article appears in Aug 11-17, 2021.