WIAA basketball tournaments to continue as scheduled

SPOKANE, Wash. — The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association announced Monday that all state basketball championships will continue as originally planned.

In the statement, the WIAA said it is communicating with the Washington State Department of Health and will continue to receive guidance regarding upcoming events.

“The safety of participants and fans is the primary focus of our organization and we encourage those planning to attend to follow the prevention guidelines distributed by the Center for Disease Control,” the WIAA said.

Tournaments are scheduled for Tacoma, Yakima and Spokane, with staff at all three arenas are working to disinfect high-touch areas with EPA approved disinfectant. Officials say there will also be increased hand sanitization stations at each site.

The department of health encourages anyone attending large events to spread out as much as possible as an extra preventative measure.

Health officials say the best way to protect yourself from the coronavirus is to continually wash your hands, avoid touching your face and disinfect objects and surfaces regularly.