NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association said Tuesday that football and girls' soccer will not start on schedule because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Season openers had been set for Aug. 21 with Jamborees a week earlier but on Monday, Gov. Bill Lee extended Tennessee's state of emergency through Aug. 29. Among other things, Lee's order limits contact sports "with a requirement or substantial likelihood of routine close contact."
The TSSAA is working on regular season and postseason options, according to an announcement Tuesday. The emergency restrictions do not apply to collegiate or professional sports conducted under the rules of their governing bodies.
The announcement comes as Tennessee continues to see large jumps in people testing positive for COVID-19.
The state recorded 1,212 new positive cases Tuesday. Last week, the state reported its biggest one-day jump in new cases with more than 1,400 recorded last Friday. Tennessee reported that 604 people had died from the virus as of Tuesday.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the highly contagious virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal.