ECU pauses athletics after more than 2 dozen people test positive for COVID-19
After 27 people involved with East Carolina University athletics tested positive for the coronavirus, all athletic activities will be put on pause, the school’s athletics director said Thursday night.
ECU’s Director of Athletics Jon Gilbert said the school has conducted 452 COVID-19 tests with student-athletes, coaches and staff, according to a release. Of those, 27 were confirmed positive, the release said. Five of the 27 have recovered.
The university did not identify which sports the athletes, coaches and staff are involved in. They will self-isolate and be monitored daily by ECU Athletics medical personnel, the release said.
The temporary pause of activities will go into effect Wednesday, the release said. The university’s athletic facilities and practice fields will be closed.
“The health and safety of our student-athletes is our top priority and today’s decision comes in consultation with our medical staff,” Gilbert said in a news release.
Similar situations have taken place at UNC-Chapel Hill and NC State as well as at schools across the country.
On July 8, UNC said 429 athletes, coaches and staff were tested for COVID-19 with 37 tests returned positive, The News & Observer reported. The school halted the football team’s voluntary off-season workouts, which are led by players without coaches in attendance.
On July 9, the N.C. State athletics department reported that five people tested positive, out of 315 student-athletes, coaches and staff who were tested, The N&O reported.
This story was originally published July 14, 2020 at 8:11 PM.