St. Pius athlete tests positive for COVID-19

Albuquerque has a confirmed case of COVID-19 in a local high school athlete, as a football player from St. Pius X has tested positive, the Journal has learned.

A letter from Sartans coach Dave Montoya to St. Pius parents was obtained by the Journal.

“The athlete in question last attended practice June 23rd and had been exposed on June 19th or 20th,” the letter said.

Everyone from the pod of athletes this player interacted with on June 23 is getting tested, along with the coach in charge of that pod, Montoya wrote.

Montoya told the Journal on Friday afternoon that he was not aware of any other St. Pius football athlete or coach testing positive in the wake of the positive test. And it was not immediately known if this was the first New Mexico prep athlete to test positive for the coronavirus.

Montoya could not discuss the player’s health situation, including the athlete’s current condition.

In the letter, he informed parents that if another positive test were to be discovered, that they would be alerted. No one will be “allowed back to workouts until they can provide a negative test,” the Montoya letter said.

Since workouts for New Mexico teams began June 15, all coaches were required by the New Mexico Activities Association to take a COVID-19 test, and be negative, before they could interact with their athletes.

Carlsbad Municipal Schools earlier this week suspended athletic practices after a coach tested positive for COVID-19, forcing 10 Carlsbad athletes who interacted with the coach to self-quarantine.

The athletes have not been required to take the test. Coaches, or a team representative, take an athlete’s temperature before each workout session and an athlete must be symptom-free in order to participate.

As a result of the positive test at St. Pius, the Sartans will not have in-person workouts next week, and are targeting July 13 to resume.