Gov. John Carney on Friday signed a revision to the Covid-19 emergency order that allows the Division of Public Health to approve measures in place of the mask mandate for professional and NCAA games.
The change will remove question marks on the status of the upcoming women’s college basketball tournament and Delaware Blue Coats games in Wilmington.
Under the altered order, Covid-19 mitigation plans, including the alternative measures, must be submitted to the following – hspcontact@delaware.gov.
Fans, staff, and other attendees of indoor sporting events are still subject to the public mask requirement. The original emergency order did not include capacity restrictions for indoor events.
“This revision will allow competitions to move forward with a potential mask exemption only for professional and NCAA athletes,” said Carney. “These organizations already have their own safety plans, which this revision recognizes. DPH will work closely with them to ensure they are protecting athletes and helping prevent the spread of this virus.”
This week, Carney issued an emergency order that requires masks in most indoor public settings.
The order was issued after hospitals around the state reported crisis conditions. Also, National Guard members were called in to assist hospitals.
