Multiple California high school football games were canceled due to COVID-19 cases.

Esparto High School canceled its game last Friday due to not having enough players from either injury or COVID-19, FOX 40 reports.

“The Esparto Spartans’ road game against the Amador Buffaloes won’t happen after seven students were out due to an injury and six more players tested positive for COVID-19,” the outlet stated.

From FOX 40:

The Spartans, who don’t have a junior varsity team, have 22 students on its varsity squad, leaving them without 13 players after the reported injuries and illnesses.

The decision to cancel the game came down to the number of students recovering from injuries and district officials anticipating more students to test positive for the virus or others being sick with non-COVID illnesses before Friday.

The possibility of students unintentionally spreading the virus to the other team was also a factor in the decision.

“The health and safety of all students and staff have been and always will be of paramount importance to the Board and myself,” EUSD superintendent Christina Goennier said in an email to FOX40.com. “Ensuring the well-being of students is not only a moral obligation but also a legal and ethical responsibility.”

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A high school in Ventura County also canceled a varsity football game due to COVID-19 cases.

“Santa Paula High School in Ventura County had to cancel its upcoming varsity football game scheduled against La Canada High School after 15 of its team members tested positive for COVID-19. Two other Ventura County football teams had to cancel games for very similar reasons,” KTLA 5 reports.

More from KTLA 5:

Many parents have expressed concerns about missing school and the potential for spreading the virus to other family members.

“At this point, all the kids are vaccinated, and we think it’s more like a bad flu. We aren’t really worried about the medical consequences; it’s more about how many days of school they are going to miss, which is now becoming more and more important in middle and high school,” said Rayman Mathoda, a parent of a student at La Canada High School.

“I think at this point, it’s just a minor inconvenience, having kids at home for the whole week,” added Avantika Shahi.

In Los Angeles County, the number of new COVID-19 outbreaks at worksites has tripled in the last month, and at local schools, COVID-19 outbreaks have risen by 43% within the most recent tracking period. The rate at which reported COVID-19 tests are coming back positive is up to 14% across California. In comparison, at the start of the summer, only 4% of cases were positive.

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Canceled and/or postponed high school football games isn’t exclusively a California issue.

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Schools in Florida have made similar decisions due to COVID-19 cases.

Florida High School Football Game ‘Postponed’ Due to COVID-19

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