Tuesday, February 23, 2021 - 8:25 pm BY JIMMY LAWTON North Country This Week CANTON – St. Lawrence County athletes participating in high-risk sports will not be required to take COVID-19 tests. The State Education Department told schools Feb. 16 that they could not require testing of athletes playing high-risk sports like hockey and basketball, unless the county public health departments mandate it. That news is requiring some school districts that approved sports safety plans to revisit their documents as some, like Canton, had planned to require testing. “On Tuesday, the New York State Education Department issued a memo that unless required by the County Public Health Department, schools cannot require COVID-19 testing as a condition to participate in athletics or extracurricular activities. This memo has placed a number of schools around the state in a difficult situation with their plans no longer being compliant,” a statement issued by Canton Central School said.