Following mandates from Gov. Jay Inslee’s office, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association has implemented mask mandates for any event with 500 or more attendees.

This means that masks will be required until further notice at local high school football games with 500 or more attendees.

To calculate the 500, schools should include fans, event staff, bands and anyone else who may occupy seating areas. Coaches, players, officials and other personnel on the field, along with cheer/dance/drill squads on the sidelines are not counted.

The WIAA encourages schools to be proactive in adhering to these guidelines with facility signage, in-game public address reads, etc. that highlight the masking expectations. It also suggests adding a summary of the masking guidelines to school and athletic websites as a resource for fans and visiting fans who may attend events at local facilities.

According to a press release from the WIAA, the Governor’s office and State Department of Health will allow WIAA extracurricular activities to continue so long as they trust that WIAA member schools will enforce the mandate at each and every event.

“We urge you to work with your facility managers and event staff to actively enforce and model these guidelines, without exception,” the press release stated.