Grangeville High School football player tests positive for COVID-19 infection

Lewiston Morning Tribune - 9/12/2020

Sep. 12--A Grangeville High School football player tested positive for COVID-19 this week, forcing a Friday game against Weiser to be canceled.

Athletic Director Matt Dame said no other players were affected, as far as he knew.

"That's the good thing," Dame said. "We're keeping our fingers crossed it's only the one player."

COVID-19 cases in the region continued their rapid rise Friday, with public health officials in Whitman County reporting 62 new positive tests for a total of 975 countywide, and the Public Health -- Idaho North Central District reporting 31 for a total of 736.

The Grangeville case is the first to be reported involving a high school athlete in the area. The news comes during a week when the Orofino School District decided to require face masks for its students at Orofino Elementary School and Orofino Junior/Senior High School after an outbreak of COVID-19 was discovered last week.

According to Dame, the student went to school Sept. 2-4 and played in the Bulldogs' first game of the season Sept. 4 at home against Post Falls' junior varsity team. The student started feeling ill over the weekend, Dame said, and decided to see his doctor because of his symptoms.

The school was informed after the doctor visit, and the student stayed home for the week.

The school learned Thursday that the student tested positive, Dame said. School officials contacted counterparts in Weiser, who opted to cancel the football game.

Mountain View School District superintendent Todd Fiske released a letter to district parents Thursday explaining the situation. It states, "According to the North Central Public Health Department, the District's staff and students may have been in contact with the individual during the period of possible exposure."

In the meantime, Dame said the school has been following the protocols set by the National Federation of High Schools as well as the Idaho High School Activities Association sports medicine committees.

Before practices, which were held throughout the week, players had their temperatures checked and were asked if they had the symptoms associated with the coronavirus. The players were told to wear face masks during the school day as well as after practice to limit the potential of community spread.

The team is not in quarantine, Dame said.

The Bulldogs' game Sept. 18 at McCall-Donnelly is still set to be played.

According to a news release from Whitman County Public Health Director Troy Henderson and Emergency Management Director Bill Tensfeld, the new cases include 12 females and 12 males between the ages of 0-19, 19 women and 18 men between the ages of 20-39, and one man between the ages of 40-59. All are stable and self-isolating, according to the news release.

Asotin County reported one new positive test, for a total of 63. Garfield County reported no new cases. Officials from the Nez Perce Tribe didn't respond to requests for information Friday.

In Idaho, only Clearwater County reported no new cases out of the five-county public health district. Nez Perce County had the most cases with 21. Of those, 15 were among men, with one person in their 20s, three in their 30s, one in their 40s, three in their 50s, one in their 60s, three in their 70s, two in their 80s and one in their 90s. Cases among women included one in their 20s, two in their 30s, one in their 50s, one in their 60s and one in their 80s.

Latah County was next with six positive tests, including three men (in their 30s, 40s and 50s) and three females (in their teens, 20s and 90s). There were three positive tests in Idaho County, including two men (in their 20s and 70s) and one female in her teens. One man in his 60s tested positive in Lewis County.

Walden may be reached at (208) 848-2258, dwalden@lmtribune.com, or on Twitter @waldo9939.

Tribune reporter Joel Mills contributed to this story.

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