Friday night lights dim as DCSS announces no fall sports

ALBANY, Ga. – Don’t expect to see Friday night lights anytime soon. While student athletes within the Dougherty County School System (DCSS) are allowed to continue conditioning and training, there will be no fall sports at least through September. This announcement comes as COVID-19 cases continue to surge throughout the community.

Kenneth Dyer

“As we assess the data, we’ve been looking at our increase in cases daily since April the 7th we also look at our hospitalization rate, we look at our positivity rate and other metrics,” says DCSS Superintendent Kenneth Dyer.

Currently in Dougherty County There are an average of six new hospitalizations daily and the COVID-19 positivity rate hovers between 10 and 15 percent. Although there haven’t been any COVID-19 cases linked to the athletics program, Dyer says the difficult decision comes as athletic programs across the country struggle to cope with student-athletes and coaches contracting the virus.

“The safety and security of our students, faculty and staff is our number one priority. It’s one thing to say it, its other thing to personify it.”

If conditions within the community improve, Dyer says the athletic program will consider opening back up in October. But he says he needs to see the right numbers.

“When we get new cases down to an average of seven or fewer over a seven day rolling average and we maintain that for at least two weeks, with our positivity rate being at 5%, and our hospitals having capacity, then I think we’ll be in a position to begin.”

Dyer encourages residents to follow CDC guidelines to help reduce COVID-19 transmission in the community so that Dougherty County athletes can get back in the game.