Iowa Reports Four Positive COVID-19 Tests In Athletic Department

Iowa's athletic department reported on Monday four positive COVID-19 tests and 331 negative tests were found in testing last week.

Athletes, coaches and staff are all tested. The university does not announce the numbers for each group.

Since testing began on May 29, a total of 51 positive tests and 1,225 negative tests have been reported (3.99 percent).

According to the university's protocols, contact tracing procedures are conducted. The protocols also include isolation for the individuals who test positive, and quarantine for those individuals who might have been exposed to someone with the virus.

The testing results come less than a week after the Big Ten postponed all fall sports, including football, to a possible spring season.

"We'll all go through a period of just disappointment and hurt here for a while," Iowa football coach Kirk Ferentz said last Tuesday after the Big Ten's announcement. "It's extremely frustrating. It's tough news to hear. But I fully understand and appreciate the decision-making. We have to move forward from this point."

"At the end of the day, the impact of competition during a pandemic, at the highest levels of intercollegiate athletics, is simply unknown," Iowa president Bruce Harreld said in a statement. "The level of physical exertion and contact with other individuals does not occur in any other environment on our campus."

"With the announcement today from the Big Ten Conference, our immediate focus is on our student-athletes and continuing to provide care and support," Iowa athletics director Gary Barta said in his statement. "They have overcome a number of obstacles associated with this virus and handled the uncertainties with undeniable resolve. We will continue to work together and move forward."