WIAA taking steps to keep players, fans safe from coronavirus

Mick Hoffman came to Battle Ground Saturday to watch some teams play in the first state basketball tournament games under his direction as the executive director of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.

Instead, he spent much of his time Saturday on the phone or standing in front of a camera, talking to the media about the recent coronavirus outbreak in the state and how the WIAA is dealing with it.

“We’ve been working with the state department of health for a few days,” Hoffman said. “They’re the experts, so we’re just following their recommendations and leads.”

On Friday night, at the very same time the first games of the regional round of the state were tipping off, the state department of health announced the first two confirmed cases of coronavirus in the state.

That decision was made with the consultation of the state department of health, Hoffman said.

“If the state department of health says it’s safe, then it’s safe,” Hoffman said.

The steps the WIAA took to keep things safe were evident from the moment fans stepped into the gym at Battle Ground High School.

Fans were lined up to get into the gym while the maintenance staff wiped down all doors and handrails. Fans were also encouraged to use hand sanitizer with bottles placed throughout the facility.

“Just like with any virus, (the) recommendation is try to disinfect the high-touch areas as much as possible,” Hoffman said. “So we had to bring in an extra custodian, and that’s what we’ve been doing.”

The thing about the line that delayed entry into Battle Ground was that there was still a line to get in.

The coronavirus scare didn’t appear to keep fans away from Battle Ground, or elsewhere across the state for that matter.

“There have been great crowds,” Hoffman said. “I was up at Mark Morris this morning and we had great crowds up there too. I’ve been checking in with the folks up north and in central, and it’s the same thing.”