Orange County

Orange County Public Schools changes policy for testing football players for COVID-19

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Orange County Public Schools has announced changes to its testing policy for its football players a week after it began.

Olympia High reopens as West Orange High shuts down due to COVID-19 cases

Now, the district said only teams that meet the following requirements will get tested:

  • They play a non-OCPS school
  • Play an OCPS school that played a non-OCPS school
  • If the school had a positive test this week or did not test.

Parents are pushing to allow West Orange High School’s football team to play a game this Friday despite the school being closed due to COVID-19 cases.

Parents argue that players have passed their COVID-19 tests, and were in a bubble, so should be good to play.

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TO PLAY THIS YEAR - STUDENT ATHLETES HAD TO BASICALLY GO INTO A BUBBLE.

NO FACE TO FACE LEARNING.

AND PARENTS HAD TO AGREE TO GET TESTED AND LET ADVENT HEALTH GIVE THE RESULTS TO THE DISTRICT.

HATCH IS PUSHING TO ALLOWS PARENTS TO GET A 2ND OPINION TEST BEFORE A CHILD IS TOLD THEY CAN’T PLAY.


Pam Gould, OCPS Board Vice Chair

00:08:57 “have you heard from the district changing that ? Not yet... getting more briefings today.” 00:09:10


HE AND OTHERS POINT OUT THE DISTRICT’S TESTING RULES DON’T ALWAYS MAKE sense.

IT LETS TEAMS PLAY SCHOOLS NOT IN THE DISTRICT WITH PLAYERS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN TESTED.

the district is addressing that problem now.

it will require teams that play non ocps schools to get tested during the next round of test and any team they


IT ALSO ONLY TESTS BIWEEKLY.


Cierra Putman

Cierra Putman, WFTV.com

Cierra Putman flew south to join Eyewitness News in July 2016.

Adam Poulisse, WFTV.com

Adam Poulisse joined WFTV in November 2019.