Louisville provides update to COVID-19 testing program

Over the course of this offseason, Louisville has been relatively tight-lipped about the COVID-19 testing numbers within their athletics program. Unless it resulted in the temporary shutdown of one of their sports, the University had not been formally divulging the amount of positive cases across their respective sports.

On Tuesday, they changed their course regarding the subject. Via a release from SID Kenny Klein, the Louisville Athletics department not only revealed their number of positive cases, but total tests overall as well. They also announced that moving forward, they will provide updates regarding the matter on a weekly basis.

"The University of Louisville Athletics' COVID-19 testing program has administered 1,373 tests to student-athletes, coaches and staff since student-athletes began returning to campus for voluntary activities on June 2. Since that time, there have been a total of 85 positive tests from the group. UofL will provide updates on its testing figures on a weekly basis moving forward."

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Senior Associate Athletic Director/Sports Information Director Kenny Klein

Using these numbers, 6.19% of the tests administered resulted in a positive diagnosis for COVID-19. As of August 18, the national positive test rate is 8.95% per the Center for Disease Control.

A large chunk of these positive tests stem from an off-campus party that lead to 29 cases across four sports. Louisville then temporarily suspended all team-related activities for men's and women's soccer, field hockey and volleyball, and later dismissed three men's soccer players who were "primarily responsible" for organizing the party.

Last month, the men's basketball program put a halt to voluntary workouts for two weeks as did the men's & women's swimming teams due to COVID-19.

Football has not suspended team-related activities at any point due to the virus, but head coach Scott Satterfield said in an interview with the Today Show that the program has had “around four” positive cases for COVID-19 since June 8. However on the morning of the interview, It was reported that Louisville had zero positive cases when they tested over 100 players prior to practice.

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