Mount Carmel shuts down campus, all sports until March 15 due to COVID-19

Multiple sources confirmed that Mount Carmel president Edward Hughes emailed the school’s faculty and staff Wednesday, saying the campus and all sports are shut down until March 15.

According to the email, Mount Carmel was on remote learning last week after a student tested positive for COVID-19. The school returned to in-person learning this week, but then another student tested positive.

“We are on pause right now doing some contact tracing,” Mount Carmel Athletic Director Dan LaCount said.

That puts an immediate end to the basketball season and means the Caravan’s football team, the defending Class 7A state champions, will miss Week 1 of the football season and could miss Week 2.

Mount Carmel’s basketball team finishes the season with a 4-4 record after losing to DePaul Prep on Wednesday. The football team was scheduled to open the season March 19 at Montini and then travel to Loyola on March 27.

Illinois High School Association rules require 12 practice days (Sundays not included) to play a game. That means the Caravan possibly won’t be able to play a football game until March 28. It’s possible the school could appeal the rule and receive a waiver to play in Week 2 (or the game could be played that Sunday), but the Week 1 game is unlikely to happen.