VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — If you’re a student-athlete in Virginia Beach or a parent of one — an important vaccine deadline is this Monday.

Back in September, Virginia Beach announced high school student-athletes would be required to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or get tested for the virus weekly. Testing will be provided to families at no charge.

That new policy goes into effect on November 8.

This affects Virginia Beach high school students who intend to participate in Virginia High School League winter activities or athletic conditioning that require a physical for participation.

When the decision was made a few months ago, Jack Freeman the school’s Chief Operations Officer, mentioned athletics are high-risk activities and that indoor athletics increase that risk even more.

You may also remember, Virginia Beach City Public Schools canceled multiple football games this fall citing “safety protocols associated with COVID-19.”

Virginia Beach City Public Schools is the third division in the region to issue such a policy.
Chesapeake and Suffolk issued their policies prior.