The Louisiana Classic Wrestling Tournament took place earlier this month at the Lamar Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales, a city about 59 miles west of New Orleans. Students, parents and school officials from across the state came together for two days to watch the high school wrestling matches.
“Anyone who attended the tournament on either day – January 15th or 16th – should consider themselves exposed to COVID-19,” said the Louisiana Department of Health statement.
Photos of the event published by Acadiana Advocate show inconsistent mask use among those present, many of whom were seated next to each other. The newspaper reported that about 400 fighters participated.
The Ascension Parish, where the wrestling tournament took place, is at Covid-19’s “greatest risk”, according to the state health department’s coronavirus case tracker. The parish saw almost 10,000 cases of Covid-19 among its more than 126,600 residents.
CNN contacted the Louisiana High School Athletic Association and the Lamar Dixon Expo Center for comment and is waiting for a response.
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention generally discourages participation in internal events during the pandemic. In its youth sports guidelines, the CDC specifically cites wrestling as a sport that requires players to be within two meters of each other. For wrestling matches during the pandemic, the CDC recommends modifying the game to avoid competition altogether.
If sporting events I owe be carried out indoors, says the CDC, they should only occur in well-ventilated buildings. Participants must keep a wide distance from each other and wear masks, says the CDC.