EPISD, Canutillo say no fans allowed at sporting events; Fabens cancels all games due to virus surge

EL PASO, Texas – Effective immediately, both the El Paso and Canutillo independent school districts have limited attendance at sporting events to only "essential personnel."

Meantime, Fabens ISD announced that it was outright postponing all games and athletic competitions until further notice.

All three districts made their announcements on Monday evening.

For EPISD and Canutillo, no fans, spectators, or parents will be allowed at football, volleyball, tennis or cross country events through at least Oct. 17, according to the announcement.

Also, all middle-school sports are suspended through Oct. 25.

Officials with all three districts cited the record-setting surge in coronavirus cases in El Paso as the reason for their decisions.

El Paso County on Monday exceeded 6,000 active cases of Covid-19, the highest number of current infections during the entire pandemic, amounting to over 20% of the total cases to date. The active caseload is up by nearly 1,900 people in just over a week.

The county's hospitalization rate is on the rise too, hitting its highest level since early August. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego has said there's a 16% rate of total hospitalizations currently tied to Covid-19.