Three Cal athletes test positive for virus.
BERKELEY >> Three Cal athletes have tested positive for the novel coronavirus since returning to campus for voluntary workouts, school athletic officials announced.
The positive results for COVID-19
have led UC Berkeley’s health services to conduct contact tracing and other testing protocols, a school statement said.
The announcement comes as the country sees an increase in positive cases, particularly in the South and West.
Cal officials said 96 athletes had been tested at the University
Health Services since returning to campus. Sports Illustrated reported that most of the tests involved football players. The school’s release did not identify the athletes who tested positive or what sport they play.
A Cal statement said one of the students who tested positive had
returned to his home outside of the Bay Area.
“Contact tracing is being conducted through UHS Infection Control, Berkeley Public Health and Alameda County Public Health, and Cal Athletics will follow their recommendations for selfisolation, self-quarantine, symptom monitoring and treatment,” the statement said.
Athletic officials had announced on June 17 that athletes could return to campus in preparation for voluntary outdoor conditioning workouts. The school statement said no athletic activities have begun and the “start of workouts has been delayed pending sufficient progress on contact tracing.”
Cal officials said in a statement that all athletes and staff must complete mandatory educational training, including information on COVID-19 signs, symptoms, evaluation and testing, as well as infection prevention and control before returning to campus. “This is in addition to any university-required training and is specific to athletic activities,” the statement read.
A school spokesman said Wednesday that additional results will be released after a significant number of athletes have been tested. However, the school does not have a specific timetable for releasing more information, the spokesman said.
He added that school officials do not know how many athletes will be tested because summer workouts are voluntary.
Cal is not alone in dealing with the pandemic while trying to bring athletes to campus for summer training. USA Today reported positive cases for athletes at almost 50 colleges.