Obstacles remain for L.A. County cross-country teams to find courses

Even though state public health guidelines now allow high school cross-country competitions to take place, schools in Los Angeles County continue to face obstacles in getting permits from the county Department of Parks and Recreation.

Asked when schools would be allowed to use facilities, a spokeswoman for the parks department wrote in an email: “Before COVID-19, schools would file permits for sports/school use of Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation’s facilities. However, during this health crisis, group gatherings (including organized sports teams and school sports permits) are not allowed per the County health order.

“While cross-country is long-distance running and students can be 6 feet apart, they are a ‘team’ from a school and include members of different households, and this is not allowed per the health guidelines. The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation will continue to keep the public informed as the health order is updated.”

An updated health order from the Los Angeles County Department of Health is expected Friday.