New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
UConn reports no positive COVID-19 tests among athletes
UConn announced Friday that the school has performed 150 COVID-19 tests on student-athletes since June 19 and none have come back positive.
The school began welcoming men’s basketball players back to campus on June 19. Football players returned July 1.
“While this is good news, it is certainly no time to relax the standards and protocols we have in place to ensure the safety of our student-athletes and staff,” athletic David Benedict said in a statement. “We will remain vigilant throughout this process. I’d like to commend our public health officials and medical staff for planning and implementing these protocols while also passing along my gratitude to our student-athletes and staff for adhering to the guidelines. It is my expectation that a future positive test is inevitable but I am confident that the procedures we have in place will mitigate any community spread.”
Athletes were required to test negative and enter a modified quarantine within small groups before they were cleared for workouts. After testing negative, athletes were also required to pass a physical exam before being cleared for training.
The football team can begin on-field activities Saturday, per NCAA rules. The men’s basketball team can begin coach-supervised activities on July 20. The women’s basketball team is expected on campus at the end of the month.
The athletic department’s “re-entry” plan was submitted to Connecticut’s Higher Education Committee as a pilot program, according to UConn. The plan will enable the school to “solidify policies and procedures prior to the general student body’s return in mid-August.”
On Wednesday, North Carolina announced that 37 of 429 athletes, coaches, and athletic staff tested positive for coronavirus. Ohio State paused all athletic activities this week following the results of testing, while schools such as Houston, Kansas, and Kansas State stopped workouts because of a cluster of positive tests. Clemson and LSU also reported a high number of positive tests.