Kansas State shuts down football workouts after positive COVID-19 tests, LSU reportedly has 'at least 30' in quarantine
Kansas State has paused all workouts for football players as positive COVID-19 tests have increased at the university.
The school announced Saturday that, as of June 19, 14 of the 130 athletes tested have tested positive. As a result, the school has paused football workouts for a period of 14 days.
The athletes who tested positive “are being medically managed according to current local, state, national, and CDC guidelines, which begins with self-isolation for 10 days and until the patient is without fever for 72 hours without medication, whichever takes longer,” the school said.
“The health and well-being of our student-athletes will always be our top priority,” K-State athletic director Gene Taylor said. “Following the most recent test results, we felt like temporarily pausing all football workouts and access to our facilities was the best decision for everyone. We continue to take this situation very seriously and want to do everything we can to get back to workouts soon.”
The updated figure of 14 is a jump from the number Kansas State reported on Wednesday, which was eight. The school has not specified which sport(s) the athletes who have tested positive play.
Kansas State is the second program to halt its offseason workouts due to positive COVID-19 tests. Houston, after opting not to test its players upon their return to campus, shut down workouts after six players tested positive last week.
Report: ‘At least 30’ LSU players in quarantine
LSU, the defending national champions, are also dealing with a significant number of positive tests, according to Sports Illustrated. The outlet reported Saturday that “at least 30” LSU players are in isolation because they either tested positive or were in contact with someone who tested positive.
The Athletic is reporting that the number of positive tests for LSU football players so far is “in the teens” while SI is reporting that no one affiliated with LSU football has been hospitalized and “very few have experienced effects beyond mild symptoms.”
The influx of positive tests is being attributed to players “frequenting a string of nightclubs” in Baton Rouge. The Louisiana Department of Health recently announced that more than 100 recent patrons of Tigerland bars have tested positive.
Several schools dealing with positive tests
Saturday’s news at Kansas State and LSU comes on the heels of 28 positive tests within the Clemson athletic department being reported on Friday. Of those 28 positive tests were 23 football players.
Elsewhere, Texas announced Thursday that it had 13 football players test positive, 10 others in self-quarantine and four others test positive for the COVID-19 antibody.
“All 13 are self-isolating. Through contact tracing, 10 more football student-athletes are in self-quarantine, all of whom are asymptomatic at this time,” a University of Texas statement said.
A large number of schools across the country brought their football players back to campus in recent weeks to begin voluntary workouts.
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