CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools announced Thursday summer athletics and training ahead of fall sports would not begin July 6th as originally planned because of ongoing concerns about the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic.
"Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will not resume athletic activity on our campuses July 6th," CMS district spokesperson Brian Hacker said in a released statement. " We have consulted with local public health officials, discussed readiness with athletic directors, and reviewed current conditions in our County and the state of North Carolina. Our analysis has revealed that there is much uncertainty and many unanswered questions at the present time."
The planed resumption of activities for July 6th was originally limited to outdoor conditioning and non-equipment skills development workouts for fall sports such as football.
The district expressed it is in the best interest of the student-athletes and the staff to postpone the resumption of on-campus athletic activity "..until we have greater confidence that doing so will be in an environment that protects health."
CMS said they consulted with other school districts before making the announcement Thursday. Gaston County Schools and Union County Public Schools told WCNC Charlotte's Nick Carboni they still intend to start summer athletics July 6. Cabarrus County is scheduled to resume July 20th.
North Carolina officials reported over 1,600 new cases Thursday, which was a slight drop from Wednesday's record number of 1,843 new cases. North Carolina labs also conducted a record number of daily tests Wednesday with 24,630 tests being completed.
Earlier this week, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper delayed a statewide decision on how to reopen public schools in August.
"We want to get our students back in the classroom, and we want to make sure we get this right," Cooper said Wednesday.
Later that night, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools proposed three possible plans that could be implemented in August. They include options for both in-person and remote learning.
