Following the South Carolina Supreme Court decision announced earlier today which permits higher education institutions to require a universal mask mandate, Clemson will require masks in all of its statewide buildings including classrooms, …
Following the South Carolina Supreme Court decision announced earlier today which permits higher education institutions to require a universal mask mandate, Clemson will require masks in all of its statewide buildings including classrooms, instructional facilities, offices, labs, and residential and dining halls except while eating or in private spaces. The requirement is effective immediately for a period of three weeks.
This three-week period coincides with the greatest risk predicted by our public health team’s modeling of the disease. Masks were shown in our models to a have significant impact on curbing the spread of the virus and correspondingly enhances our ability to stay in person.
The University continues to evaluate all public health data as it mitigates the prevalence of COVID-19 while maximizing opportunities to continue in-person classes.
Yellowstone National Park announced Friday that, for an indefinite period, visitors are required to wear masks indoors and inside public transportation vehicles.
Yellowstone National Park announced Friday that, for an indefinite period, visitors are required to wear masks indoors and inside public transportation vehicles.
“Currently, all five counties within Yellowstone have substantial or high COVID-19 transmission rates,” the park stated via Facebook, explaining that the mask rule is in accordance with CDC guidelines.
Understandably, given the stark contrast of opinions regarding mask mandates, Yellowstone felt compelled to pin a caution atop the comments section:
“We treat our platforms as public forums and welcome discussion and debate. Be considerate of differing opinions and do not personally attack others. We will hide, delete, or report comments that break any platform rules. Threats and other illegal activity will be reported to law enforcement.”
Masks must be worn inside Yellowstone businesses
As of Saturday morning nearly 1,500 comments appeared beneath the announcement.
Followers asked why visitors would want to be inside anyway, in such a vast outdoor wilderness. They thanked the staff for doing its part to keep visitors safe, and asked reasonable questions related to the mandate.
Scores of people raised the subject of vaccines. At the time of this post the most popular comment read, simply, “What is wrong with people! Just get the damn vaccine!”
Some were critical of the park for allowing such large crowds, while a few leveled blame, without explanation, toward the government.
Some expressed concern that elk and bison, and other critters commonly approached by tourists, are in danger of contracting COVID-19.
“Stay away from the wildlife, and stay away from each other,” one comment reads.
Missing, for the most part, are politically inspired rants and vitriolic attacks, and that, most likely, is thanks to astute and overworked moderators.
The Falcons are one of only nine teams with a vaccination rate of 90 percent or higher.
As we get closer to the 2021 NFL regular season, the debate over whether or not to get the COVID-19 vaccine is heating up among players and coaches. Just over the past week, we’ve seen a coach in Minnesota leave after refusing vaccination, while Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins openly contemplated retirement.
However, of the 89 players currently on the Atlanta Falcons roster, only seven have yet to get vaccinated, as reported by The Athletic’s Jeff Schultz on Friday afternoon.
7 out of 89 players on the Falcons’ roster have not been vaccinated, a source told @TheAthletic
The Falcons are one of only nine teams with a vaccination rate of 90 percent or higher. This is a major positive going into the season, especially considering the NFL has become increasingly strict on COVID guidelines.
While being vaccinated doesn’t eliminate the chance to contract the virus entirely, it does reduce the spread and limit its effects. The NFL sent out a league wide memo earlier this week stating that the league won’t reschedule games if an outbreak occurs within a team filled with unvaccinated players. This will result in a forfeit for that team.
Additionally, the NFL has stated that teams who fail to meet the 85 percent vaccination threshold will still have to adhere to strict COVID policies. This includes daily testing, limited in-person meetings and masks.
The Seahawks vs. Cardinals game in Week 7 will have a maximum of 1,200 people and the Cardinals issued a list of rules for fans to follow.
The Seattle Seahawks’ Week 7 game against the Arizona Cardinals will be limited to 1,200 people to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, with tickets exclusive to season-ticket holders.
Masks will be mandatory. Failure to comply will result in ejection.
The 1,200 tickets will be allocated in pods of two on both the east and west sides of the stadium with 600 per side.
To allow for social distancing, seats not available will be zip-tied to prevent their use.
Tickets and parking are 100% digital and touch-lessly scanned upon entry. Concessions will also be contactless.
Additional staff will continuously clean all high-contact surfaces and restrooms.
This will be a pivotal matchup between NFC West rivals with the division up for grabs despite Seattle’s 5-0 record thus far. Arizona looks noticeably better than in years past and divisional games are always unpredictable.
Kickoff is set for 1:05 p.m. PT on Sunday, Oct. 25.
Houston Open tournament officials have announced that they will allow a limited number of fans on the course.
The PGA Tour keeps creeping back toward some level of normalcy and next month, that will include fans – albeit a limited number of them. Houston Open tournament officials have announced that they will allow a limited number of fans on the course for all four rounds of the Nov. 5-8 event at Memorial Park Golf Course.
Beginning Wednesday, Oct. 21, tournament officials will put 2,000 daily tickets up for sale on the tournament’s web site, HoustonOpenGolf.com. The daily ticket cost is $79 for Thursday’s opening round and $109 a day for Friday through Sunday.
Food and beverage is covered cleverly through ticket purchases, too. Each ticket will include food and beverage from designated on-course venues (alcohol is not included). The tickets will be color coded to correspond with the grab-and-go food and beverage pickup locations.
Tickets will not be sold on-site, nor will there be a will-call area for tickets to be dropped off.
Safety precautions will still be in play at Memorial Park, with all fans, volunteers and essential personnel expected to wear masks at all times while on property, except when eating or drinking.
Some Tour stops already have allowed a very limited number of sponsor fans. A limited number of fans also will be in attendance at the Bermuda Championship the week before the Houston stop.
“We are very happy that we will have fans at Memorial Park for this year’s Houston Open. We greatly appreciate the efforts of the City of Houston, Dr. David Persse (Chief Medical Officer for the City of Houston), and PGA TOUR for working with us in developing a thorough Health and Safety Plan that has enabled this to occur,” said Giles Kibbe, President of the Astros Golf Foundation. “The health and safety for all on property at Memorial Park and the City of Houston is our highest priority as we welcome members of the community to the newly-renovated venue and to watch the best players in the world compete.”
The Houston Open originally was scheduled for Nov. 12-15, but was bumped up a week when the Masters was rescheduled for those dates. The event returns to Memorial Park Golf Course for the first time since 1963.
Because of its week-before-the-Masters date, the Houston Open will draw some of the world’s top players. So far, current World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Jason Day and Rickie Fowler have committed.
The memo warned that “additional action” could be taken against coaches and players who don’t comply with conference regulations RE: COVID.
Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey sent a memo to all programs within the conference Wednesday reminding coaches and players to wear masks while on the sideline. The memo was obtained by ESPN.
The reminder came following a number of coaches failing to keep their masks on during last weekend’s season-opening competition, including new Mississippi State coach Mike Leach, who said he tried to keep his mask on but continued pulling it down to call plays.
The memo warned that “additional action” could be taken against coaches and players who don’t comply with conference regulations regarding COVID-19 safety.
“This past weekend, many fulfilled the requirements established by the Task Force and your commitment to these new requirements are appreciated,” the memo read. “Others, including some head coaches, assistant coaches, support staff and student-athletes need clear reminders of the requirement they fulfill the new health protocols intended to minimize the potential spread of COVID-19.”
“We will continue to monitor games and will take additional action, if necessary, to ensure adherence to the approved Task Force requirements as we all work to maintain a healthy environment for everyone around our games,” the memo said.
He may have planned on it seeming like a PSA about wearing a mask but Brian Kelly’s speech to the team Saturday felt like one.
I’m sure the intent wasn’t for it to be viewed on a scale any larger than the room of football players and staff members he was talking to but Brian Kelly’s message to his team after Saturday’s 52-0 win over South Florida came across like a well thought out PSA.
While recapping parts of the game Kelly referenced South Florida’s long snapper issues that were only apparent because their regular long-snapper was in quarantine.
Kelly also brought up Florida State coach Mike Norvell who will miss their game against Miami this week due to testing positive for COVID-19.
I imagine most college football coaches and especially those anywhere near as experienced as Brian Kelly entered 2020 thinking they had probably seen just about everything coaching 18-22 year olds had to offer.
Yet here they are even after games now having to remind those late teens or guys in their early twenties to pull up their masks as everyone is gathered after the game.
Governor Whitmer’s office said that the mask rules for athletes will apply to Big Ten football, for now.
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On Thursday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s office released a statement that the mask requirement for athletes in the state applies to Big Ten football in the state, but that a face shield will be sufficient to pass the rules. They also said that the administration is open to changing the order for Big Ten play.
The rule currently requires a face mask for all athletes “except for occasional and fleeting moments.”
The mask rule is just one of many things the Big Ten and Michigan State will need to navigate after they reversed the decision to postpone the season until 2021 in favor of an Oct. 23rd start date.
Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins made some controversial comments this week related to the novel coronavirus.
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For the most part, former Michigan State quarterback has been a good ambassador for the Spartans over his time as an NFL QB, where he currently plays for the Minnesota Vikings.
However, he made some comments this week about the COVID-19 pandemic that many have deemed extremely controversial.
Cousins appeared on Kyle Brandt’s “10 Questions” podcast this week and shared some of this thoughts on the virus and masks:
“I want to respect what other people’s concerns are. For me personally, just talking no one else can get the virus, what is your concern if you could get it, I would say I’m gonna go about my daily life. If I get it, I’m gonna ride it out. I’m gonna let nature do its course. Survival-of-the-fittest kind of approach. And just say, if it knocks me out, it knocks me out. I’m going to be OK. You know, even if I die. If I die, I die. I kind of have peace about that.”
I’m not going to spend much time critiquing his views about his own life here too much, but it is a little alarming that he doesn’t seem to care if he passes the virus onto his family…
The Seattle Seahawks are wearing masks at their team headquarters in Renton while practicing for the 2020 NFL season.
The team’s official Twitter account has documented this, showcasing the events taking place on the practice field and in the facility.
Washington state governor Jay Inslee took notice and praised the organization while encouraging the state’s residents to wear masks whenever possible to curb the spread of COVID-19, which has been raging for months and has spurred the NFL to conduct daily testing on players.
With over 5 million cases of the virus reported in the United States, coach Pete Carroll stressed that teams around the league should take the situation seriously.
“This is a very treacherous thing that everybody is dealing with,” Carroll said in his virtual press conference last week., “and we have to have good fortune along the way, as well as great discipline.”
