As reported in today’s Floyd Press, the high school basketball season for Floyd County High School’s Buffaloes and Lady Buffaloes is on hold because of a breakout of COVID-19 infection that began when boys played the Bobcats at Radford High School on Dec. 28 of last year.
Shortly after the game, Radford notified Floyd County High that infections of the virus were found “among participants” in their high school basketball program.
Then infections were found in the FCHS basketball operation and the school was awaiting tests for students, coaches, and others involved in the program.
“We work directly with the New River Health District and take guidance from them,” said Dr. John Wheeler, superintendent of Floyd County Public School. “We were notified by the Radford High School Athletic Administrator about individuals associated with their program having positive tests. We have had individuals associated with our basketball team test positive. We are not back in school so there is no high risk of transmission during the school day.”
Dr. Wheeler adds:
As always any individual associated with Floyd Schools who has tested positive or has symptoms, been exposed to anyone who has COVID, or is exposed to anyone with symptoms will not be on school grounds until we have clearance from the health care provider.
–Dr. John Wheeler, Superintendent of Floyd County Public Schools
Since I wrote the story for the paper, I had to wait for today’s edition to provide information on it here. My contract with the company that owns the Press says they get the story first.
All basketball games for this week were canceled or postponed for FCHS. Same for games with Carroll County on Monday.
Middle school home games between the Buffs and Central Academy Middle School are still listed for Tuesday, Jan. 12, of next week, as is home and road games for the boys and girls JV and Varsity games with Giles on Wednesday, Jan. 13 and the rescheduled games from Monday to Thursday, Jan. 14.
All this, of course, is subject to change.
Throughout Virginia, COVID-19 infections continue to increase at an alarming rate, topping 5,000 daily cases with 5,739 new ones in Thursday’s report from the Virginia Department of Health. Total infections for the Old Dominion are 382,679 and could reach 400,000 cases in five days if the high daily rate continues.
Deaths from the virus are 5,191 in Virginia and 370,009 nationwide. Heath experts fear higher than normal infection rates and deaths because of the large number of people who traveled to spend the the Christmas holidays with family and/or loved ones.
New cases rose by 148 in the Roanoke Valley (Roanoke city and county and Salem) and 100 in Montgomery County (including the city of Radford).
Vaccine distributions and injections are running slower than originally projected and Dr. Noelle Bissell, director of the New River Health District asked for “patience” during her weekly briefing Wedneday.
““I’m asking that people give each other a little grace. Remember, it’s a long process and there is a lot of logistics,” she said. ““This is the most ambitious public health vaccination campaign in our lifetime, and there are a lot of logistics.”