DES MOINES, Iowa - The Polk County Health Department is asking school districts to stop high school sports until the current spike in COVID-19 cases subsides.

The department's director sent a letter addressed to superintendents and athletic directors.

It says the county has seen an alarming number of new cases and hospitalizations over the past several weeks, noting the positivity rate is over 20%.

The letter asked the schools to temporarily suspend extracurricular activities, including high school athletics, until the current COVID-19 surge is under control.

A duplicate letter was sent to the state wide high school boys and girls athletic associations.

The letters were dated November 19th, which was the same day the state high school championship football games began. Six classes of games ranging from eight player football to class 4A were played Thursday and Friday, November 19 and 20, at the UNI Dome in Cedar Falls.