Two Virginia football players have tested positive for COVID-19 after the team returned to Grounds for voluntary workouts earlier this week, Virginia Athletics announced today. All testing was complete before student-athletes began workouts today.
According to Virginia Athletics, a total of 110 student-athletes were tested for coronavirus by the department’s sports medicine team. The tests were then processed by the University Health System’s clinical laboratory.
The names of the two student-athletes who tested positive were not revealed. Neither of the players have required hospitalization.
“The individuals who tested positive for COVID-19 were notified according to local health guidelines as a means to trace contacts,” the press release said. “Those individuals will self-isolate for at least 10 days, or until symptoms are gone plus three days fever free (whichever is longer) and be medically evaluated until they have been cleared to resume daily sports functions. They will also undergo cardiac screening once cleared to resume daily sports functions.”
Furthermore, any known close contacts of these players will be asked to self-quarantine for a minimum of 14 days and will not be allowed to participate in workouts during that period.
Other Division I schools have seen similar results as student-athletes returned to campuses across the country. For example, Michigan and NC State have reported four and five COVID-19 positive tests, respectively, since the return of athletes. Additionally, North Carolina announced that the football program is suspending voluntary workouts for at least one week after 37 athletes, coaches and staff members across multiple sports tested positive for COVID-19.
As of now, Virginia football’s summer schedule remains intact. Student-athletes are still scheduled to begin required activities July 15 followed by fall training camp which will kick off Aug. 9.
Academic operations at the University are set to resume in late August, with Newcomb Hall reopening Aug. 16 and classes starting Aug. 25 in-person and online. As part of its testing plan, the University will contact trace anyone who has coronavirus and require all students, faculty and staff to track their symptoms daily using an app.
Virginia recorded 943 new cases of COVID-19 Friday morning, the highest count since July 7. There are 68,931 confirmed cases of the virus in the commonwealth.
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