Carney revises mask-wearing rules for college, professional athletes

Gov. John Carney on Jan. 14 signed a revision to his COVID-19 emergency order that would ease the mask mandate for college and professional athletes.

The revised order allows the Division of Public Health to approve alternative mitigation measures in place of the mask mandate for professional and NCAA athletes.

COVID-19 mitigation plans, including the alternative mitigation measures, must be submitted to hspcontact@delaware.gov. Fans, staff, and other attendees of indoor sporting events must still comply with the public mask requirement to prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

“This revision will allow competitions to move forward with a potential mask exemption only for professional and NCAA athletes,” Carney said. “These organizations already have their own safety plans, which this revision recognizes. DPH will work closely with them to ensure they are protecting athletes and helping prevent the spread of this virus.”