By: Betty Gandee
As most businesses in West Virginia have opened back up, cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, causing Governor Jim Justice to require masks if you plan to visit businesses. Popular vacation destinations such as Myrtle Beach, Florida, theme parks, and other go-to vacation spots have shut down or refused to open for the 2020 season. This making it difficult for West Virginians to enjoy their family vacations.
Jim Justice stated in a news conference on Friday that it is beneficial to avoid these hot spots, and that with the rise of active cases in West Virginia, a phased shut down could be in our future once again. Sports, school start dates, and procedures were also a hot topic, as many are ready to get back into a semi-normal routine.
School start dates for West Virginia students have been pushed back to September 8 and strict guidelines are in the works for adjusting the school schedules to best benefit the students. For those young athletes who normally would be gearing up the 2020-21 season, practices have been postponed or seasons have been cancelled. The tentative start date to resume practices has been set to the end of August, with sports events not to start before early September.
The WVSSAC is working with Justice to get a safe plan in place to resume sports and says that he knows things may change and can change in a matter of days, depending on COVID numbers and how quickly they continue to rise.