Four volleyball matches postponed due to COVID

POMEROY–Pirate Volleyball matches for this week and next are temporarily canceled and the majority of the team under COVID quarantine protocols, announced Athletic Director Toddette McGreevy earlier this week.

A member of the team tested positive for COVID after last Thursday's contest against Oakesdale, prompting school officials to dismiss volleyball team members from classes and send them home on Friday, October 8. The October 9 match against Tekoa-Rosalia was canceled, and following further testing and review, matches until the team is out of quarantine October 22 were all canceled.

Five athletes who were fully vaccinated and who tested negative were allowed to return to class, said Garfield County Public Health's Martha Lanman late last week. All other athletes remain under quarantine until October 21, 2021. They will return to school on October 22.

Per Garfield County Health District recommendations, testing was made available to all players, and school administrators recommended that anyone who tested positive retest at the Garfield County Hospital. While at the school for testing, players observed six-foot physical distancing protocols, were double-masked, and exited the building immediately once testing was completed. Players could, of course, choose to be tested elsewhere, McGreevy said.

The situation has complicated the volleyball schedule, McGreevy said. The football program is not affected and is scheduled to play DeSales at home Friday.

The canceled football game against St. John-Endicott/LaCrosse will not be made up, she added.

To make getting through the volleyball season occur prior to the playoffs, McGreevy has scheduled a couple volleyball matches that will be double headers. A varsity game will open play at 4 p.m., followed by a junior varsity game, then a second varsity match will follow.

So far, double matches are schedule with Garfield-Palouse on Oct. 26 and SJEL on Oct. 28.

As of the East Washingtonian's press deadline, there is no certainty regarding the volleyball schedule, McGreevy said. Watch the East Washingtonian's website (www.eastwashingtonian.com) for late-breaking schedule information, or visit the school's website at psd.wednet.edu.

When the positive test was discovered, Superintendent Rachel Gwinn sent all Pomeroy High School volleyball players, JV and Varsity, home for the afternoon of October 8.

The volleyball match vs. Tekoa-Rosalia, scheduled for Saturday, October 8, was canceled. McGreevy said every effort will be made to reschedule the match, and the ADs will begin looking at dates on Monday when Pomeroy knows more after receiving guidelines from the Garfield County Health District.

Oakesdale, whom the Pirates played against Oct. 7, was notified of the situation, but both ADs agreed that there was an extremely low risk of exposure, as both teams followed Covid-protocols as much as possible, McGreevy said.

The Garfield County Health District will take the lead on contact tracing, and will contact those individuals identified as being in "close-contact".

5. Pomeroy High School's Homecoming Week, which was scheduled for next week, has been moved to the last week in October, October 24-30. Other canceled matches will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

Garfield County Health District recommends anyone who tested positive retest at the hospital or a location of their choice. Players observed six-foot distancing protocols, double masked, and exited the building immediately once testing was completed.

Please contact Toddette McGreevy or Superintendent Gwinn if you have questions or concerns. The most important factor in this decision is the health and safety of all students. Please be safe, sanitize, mask-up, and take care of yourself.