Just days after student-athletes across the country started returning to school for voluntary workouts, the University of Houston announced it must shut down voluntary workouts following a small outbreak of COVID-19 by its athletes.
Houston Cougars suspend workouts, announce six athletes test positive for COVID-19
In a statement on Friday night, the athletic department announced six of its student-athletes tested positive for the coronavirus. All six displayed signs of symptoms for COVID-19 and the university immediately quarantined them and tested them.
Following the positive tests, officials consulted with medical experts and made the decision to suspend all voluntary workouts indefinitely. The school is also conducting contact tracing procedures, which is part of their safety protocol.
The city of Houston has started experiencing a second outbreak of COVID-19. Now with more student-athletes on campus and the virus spreading among multiple players, the Cougars will be taking extreme precautions to avoid it spreading even further.
Boise State, Alabama and Oklahoma State all report coronavirus cases
Just months before the 2020 college football season is set to begin, universities across the nation are seeing multiple athletes test positive for the coronavirus.
Eight football players at the University of Alabama have tested positive for COVID-19, per Yahoo Sports, but none have displayed symptoms.
Boise State announced this week that multiple athletes tested positive for the coronavirus. Meanwhile, seven athletes at Arkansas State and at least three Oklahoma State players also were confirmed to have the coronavirus.
As more student-athletes across the country test positive for the coronavirus, with a second wave of the pandemic potentially looming, the Big 12 commissioner’s warning about the upcoming college football season becomes more likely to happen.