Penn State Continues to Report Low COVID-19 Positive Rate Among Athletes
Penn State continues to report minimal positive cases of COVID-19 among athletes, a strong sign for the football program as it prepares for the season-opener Oct. 24 at Indiana.
Penn State reported three positive cases among 1,302 tests administered during the week of Oct. 3-9. Five results were pending, the athletic department said.
Penn State has reported three cases among more than 1,200 weekly tests in each of the past two reporting periods. The football team began daily antigen testing Sept. 30.
Last week's positive rate among all athletes was .23 percent. Penn State does not release the teams for which athletes who test positive play.
To be eligible for Big Ten practice and play, football teams must have a positivity rate below 5 percent, based on a rolling seven-day average.
To prevent viral spread in State College, and to help assure that the football team remains eligible, Penn State President Eric Barron this week reiterated the university's stance on barring tailgates at home games. Barron also asked fans not to visit State College or other campuses on game days and host socially distant watch parties.
Penn State and the borough of State College will continue to enforce gathering restrictions, according to Barron's statement. State College passed an ordinance banning gatherings of more than 10 people.
"The Borough of State College and surrounding areas have been diligently working with Penn State so that the return of fall Penn State athletics is done with public health as the top concern," Tom Fontaine, State College Borough manager, said in a statement. "This could not be done without a strong, collaborative and coordinated approach by both the University and the community. This pandemic continues to impact our community, and it will take everyone to have a shared responsibility in limiting the spread."
Get the latest Penn State news by joining the community. Click "Follow" at the top right of our AllPennState page. Mobile users click the notification bell. And please follow AllPennState on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.
