Judge hears arguments over virus tests for school athletes
By ED WHITEApril 27, 2021 GMT
DETROIT (AP) — Attorneys for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration defended coronavirus testing for school athletes, telling a judge Tuesday that state law gives the health director extraordinary power to respond to a pandemic.
A parent group called Let Them Play Michigan is seeking an injunction to stop weekly COVID-19 tests, which kicked in April 2 for athletes ages 13-19, related quarantines and mask requirements.
The group argues that the policy must go through a formal rule-making procedure, a process that would take weeks or months. Critics have been encouraged by recent court victories by wrestlers who convinced judges to let them compete in state tournaments. They had repeatedly tested negative but were benched because of infections among other students.