La Crosse County Health Director Jen Rombalski, Wednesday, wasn’t pleased the La Crosse Loggers were having their home-opener Friday night at Copeland Park.
She said the team was abiding by some of the health department guidelines, but not all.
“My message is that if you’re going to attend one of those events, that you take every precaution, and you understand that you may be putting yourself at risk — just because we really shouldn’t be having those kinds of events right now,” she said.
In response to those comments, La Crosse Loggers general manager Ben Kapanke posted on Facebook all players, fans and staff will have their temps checked before entering Copeland Park. The park will be at 50 percent capacity, have 15 hand-sanitizer stations and staff will wear masks.
Also, Kapanke added, that all the players have been tested for COVID-19.
Meanwhile, the county has had 353 cases the past 17 days, and the ability for anyone in the county to get tested is not a reality.
“We don’t currently have capacity to support that need,” Rombalski said. “I do know of at least one situation, where someone was told from a disease investigator at the state that they could get tested, even if they weren’t symptomatic, and that isn’t the reality locally.
“Those that don’t have symptoms — particularly a close contact who is asymptomatic — I would love to be able to support that, unfortunately we just aren’t there with our levels of capacity.”
The Loggers are 2-0, after a pair of wins at Rockford. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. Friday against the Fond du Lac Dock Spiders.