Hawaii football

Four positives nix practice

The University of Hawaii athletic department shut down all team activities on Wednesday after four football players tested positive for COVID-19, the school announced in an emailed statement.

The situation is set to be updated today.

“All four, who are asymptomatic, are now in isolation and are being cared for by the university,” the UH athletic department said in the statement. “The Hawai‘i Department of Health has been notified, and the contact tracing process is underway.

“The impacted areas are closed and will then be cleaned and disinfected, according to Centers (for) Disease Control and Prevention and university COVID-19 guidelines. The pause covers all studentathletes who are currently coming to campus and the employees who may have come into close contact with them.”

According to the statement, student-athletes and employees who spend time on campus “are screened for symptoms and exposure daily and follow all campus guidelines including wearing masks and practicing safe social distancing.”

Tuesday was the school’s weekly testing day when “more than 140 student-athletes and staff were tested. … All of the test results are expected by the end of the day. An update on the situation, including the resumption of team activities, will be provided by early Thursday morning, if not sooner,” UH said.

The Mountain West Conference announced last week that an eightgame, conference-only football schedule will begin with games on Oct. 24, and a conference championship game is set for Dec. 19. A schedule has not been announced yet.