AUGUSTA — Schools in counties designated by the Maine CDC and Maine Department of Education as being a yellow county due to COVID-19 cases are now permitted by the state’s governing body for high school athletics to practice immediately with games to subsequently follow. 

The decision on whether to resume athletic activities while designated a yellow county, ultimately, will now be left up to each school administration. 

“After meeting with the state health and education agencies, a change has been made regarding the color coding currently being used by schools,” a statement read. “The color coding system will be used as advisory to in-person learning but will no longer apply to school-based activities.” 

If the local presiding school administration deems safe to do so, teams may begin practicing and follow the established sport-specific return to play guidelines. 

Each school, according to the statement, must establish an acclimation period for students inactive for a considerable amount of time in which athletes recondition before playing in competitive games. 

“The MPA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee feels this decision would be best left up to the individual schools to develop their reconditioning plan rather than recommending a mandatory five or 10 day period,” the statement read. 

Neither Knox, Lincoln or Waldo County is currently designated as a yellow county. 

During the fall sports season, however, Waldo County was designed a yellow county leading to the premature end to the fall season for athletic teams at Belfast Area High School, Mount View High School and Searsport District High School.