There won’t be fans in the stands for sports events at Clayton County Schools for the forseeable future.

The district said Thursday it has banned fan participation out of caution because of the coronavirus.

“Our decision related to no fan participation at athletic events is being made to reinforce our commitment to maintaining a safe and secure environment for our student athletes, our coaches and indirectly, our stakeholders,” Clayton County Schools Superintendent Morcease Beasley said.

“In addition to our continued close monitoring of data from local/state health officials, we will also maintain contact with the Georgia High School Association (GHSA) and the different competitor districts and schools to advise them of this and future decisions and to determine the best and safest course of action going forward,” he said.

The school system earlier this week announced it was moving forward with athletic activities starting on Monday. The district had put a freeze on sports while it investigated whether it could safely conduct athletic programs because of the virus.

Beasley said the district will keep an eye on coronavirus case numbers and would reassess its decision if the pandemic eases.

“We will always lean towards prioritizing the health and safety of all concerned and will continue to communicate and strategize with those engaged stakeholders to make our best data informed decisions as they relate to our athletic program,” he said.

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