Chesapeake student-athlete COVID-19 vaccine mandate goes into effect Monday

CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY)– For student-athletes in Chesapeake, an important vaccine deadline is coming up Monday.

High school athletes must be fully vaccinated by Monday to participate in sports and extracurricular activities. Middle school winter athletes have until November 22. 

Students who remain unvaccinated will be tested regularly. 

This comes after a school health advisory board recommended the mandate. Some lingering questions were answered at last week’s Chesapeake school board meeting. 

“Student-athletes who have proof that they tested positive for Covid 19 and have antibody protection for 90 days will be exempt from testing during this period. Again, this is the same process we follow with quarantines,” said a school board official at the November 8 meeting.

However, after that 90-day period has passed, students will submit to weekly testing or provide proof of vaccination.

“Positive test results should be submitted to the school nurse and will be forwarded to the athletic director of course they can share their verification of vaccination as well,” added a school board official.

In a meeting last month, Superintendent Dr. Jared Cotton, shared at that point in the Fall season, 28 student-athletes got COVID-19 , and 189 students were quarantined with 4 outbreaks associated with Fall sports. 

In September, several high school football games were also canceled over covid 19.

Virginia Beach City Public Schools and Suffolk Public Schools have also issued implemented similar policies.