COVID-19 Plan for Minneapolis Lakers Youth Traveling Basketball Program

Mpls Lakers Youth Traveling Basketball Program (MLYTBP) is committed to providing safe and healthy spaces for all our players, coaches, volunteers, and fans. To ensure we have a safe and healthy season, MLYTBP has developed the following COVID-19 Plan in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal is to mitigate the potential for transmission of COVID-19 in our organization and communities, and that requires full cooperation among all of our partners.

The COVID-19 Plan is administered by our MLYTBP Safety Committee. The safety committee will maintain the overall authority and responsibility for the plan. Our board, coaches, players and parents are equally responsible for supporting, implementing, complying with and providing recommendations to further improve all aspects of this COVID-19 Plan.

Industry Guidance

The MLYTBP will follow the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) decision tree for addressing COVID-19 concerns:

1. MDH COVID-19 Decision Tree: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/schools/exguide.pdf
2. COVID-19 Testing Locations: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/testsites/index.html
3. If you are sick or Test Positive: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/sick.html
4. Close Contacts and Tracing: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/close.html

For MLYTBP outside sanctioned activities (ex: away games or tournaments), MLYTBP participants are expected to follow the plan of the location where they are participating.

Policies & Procedures that Assist Prompt Identification and Isolation of Sick Individuals and Ensuring Sick Individuals Stay Home

MLYTBP coaches, volunteers, and staff members have been informed of and encouraged to self-monitor for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Parents are also expected to check their players for COVID-19 symptoms before all MLYTBP activities. Individuals with COVID-19 symptoms must not attend MLYTBP activities and are encouraged to get tested.

About COVID-19: https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/basics.html

• Symptoms of COVID-19 can include fever, cough, shortness of breath, chills, headache, muscle pain, sore throat, fatigue, congestion or runny nose, or loss of taste or smell. Other less common symptoms include gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea.
• These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after you are exposed to the virus that causes COVID-19.
• Not everyone with COVID-19 has all of these symptoms, and some people may not have any symptoms.

In determining how to handle your situation, please refer to the Minnesota Department of Health COVI9-19 decision tree (link above). If your situation is not covered in this document or you have clarification questions, you may contact the MLYTBP COVID-19 Safety Committee at safetycommittee@mpls-lakers.org.

Informing Policy

If an MLYTBP coach, volunteer, staff member, or participant is confirmed to have COVID-19 and recently participated in an MLYTBP activity, that diagnosed person (or his or her parent, guardian, spouse, or other designee) must inform the MLYTBP COVID-19 Safety Committee at safetycommittee@mpls-lakers.org.

Upon receipt of information about a person who is confirmed to have COVID-19 and who recently participated in an MLYTBP activity, the MLYTBP will then attempt to determine who, if anyone, may have potentially been exposed to COVID-19 at an MLYTBP activity. The MLYTBP will communicate to MLYTBP coaches, volunteers, staff members, and participants if they have potentially been 2 exposed to COVID-19 at an MLYTBP activity—while maintaining the diagnosed person’s confidentiality. Also, if a case of COVID-19 is reported to the MLYTBP, the MLYTBP must report the case to the Minnesota Department of Health at health.sports.covid19@state.mn.us.

When the MLYTBP is notified of a confirmed case of COVID-19 involving someone in the program, the MLYTBP must gather the following information to share with the Minnesota Department of Health:

• Person’s (or proxy’s) name and phone number, so that MDH can conduct the case investigation in a timely manner.
• Date the person first developed symptoms.
• If they did not have symptoms, what date were they tested and why were they tested?
• Date(s) the person last attended an MLYTBP activity.

If your child is in quarantine, you must also inform the MLYTBP COVID-19 Safety Committee at safetycommittee@mpls-lakers.org.  When the MLYTBP is notified of a quarantine involving someone in the program, the MLYTBP may need to gather the following information:

• If the person has developed symptoms.
• Date(s) the person last attended an MLYTBP activity.
• Date(s) they last had contact with COVID-19 positive person if told to quarantine.
• Date(s) the person living with is out of isolation.
• Is the person getting a test? When is the test? What is the test result?

A person does not need to quarantine if the person does not have COVID-19 symptoms and has either (1) been vaccinated or (2) recovered from COVID-19 in the past 90 days. A person in this second scenario must contact the MLYTBP COVID-19 Safety Committee at safetycommittee@mpls-lakers.org.
to discuss the 90-day timeline. In both scenarios, MLYTBP will request either proof of vaccination or documentation of the past positive COVID-19 test. Importantly, the CDC recommends continuing to monitor for symptoms and getting tested.

If the MLYTBP needs to inform MLYTBP coaches, volunteers, staff members, and participants that they potentially have been exposed to a person with COVID-19 at an MLYTBP activity space, the MLYTBP shall not disclose the name of the person who is confirmed to have COVID-19. The MLYTBP will keep private the identity of a person who has been officially diagnosed with COVID-19, unless disclosure to the Minnesota Department of Health is required.

Face Coverings

All persons must wear face coverings during MLYTBP activities, except players actively practicing or competing. The phrase “actively practicing or competing” means when players are on the court. Other than players actively practicing or competing, face coverings are required for the entire duration that you are inside the facility hosting an MLYTBP activity. Coaches and spectators are required to wear face-coverings at all times. This face covering requirement applies regardless of vaccination status.

If players wish to wear face coverings while actively practicing or competing in MLYTBP activities, they must not be discouraged or prevented from doing so. No one may discourage or prevent any person from wearing a face covering during MLYTBP activities.

Communication & Training Practices and Protocol

This COVID-19 Plan was communicated to all MLYBA coaches, volunteer, and families and necessary training was provided. Additional communication and training will be ongoing throughout the season.

MLYTBP coaches and volunteers are to monitor how effective the program has been implemented by communicating with the MLYTBP Board through the MLYTBP COVID-19 response committee. Coaches parents and players can contact the COVID-19 safety committee by emailing: safetycommittee@mpls-lakers.org   

Certified by:
Tisha Boarman
10/4/2021
Safety Committee
Vice President, Mpls Lakers Youth Traveling Basketball Program