A large number of LSU football players have been placed into quarantine in an effort to curtail the spread of the coronavirus, sources confirmed to ESPN.
The news was first reported by Sports Illustrated, which placed the total number of players in quarantine at 30 or more. However, sources told ESPN that not all players in isolation have tested positive; some are in isolation as they await their test results.
LSU began voluntary workouts on June 9.
“This is what we anticipated. We planned for this. Our plan is working the way it should,” Shelly Mullenix, senior associate athletic director of health and wellness, told The Associated Press on Saturday, adding that none of the players have exhibited “significant” symptoms.
“We haven’t seen anything even close to a bad illness, but we’re prepared for that,” Mullenix said. “What we have right now is quite manageable.”
Mullenix emphasized that a single positive test could result in as many as 12 to 15 players being asked to initially quarantine because of LSU’s contact tracing procedures.
“If our quarantine number is high, it means our players have been communicating not only where they’ve been and who’ve they’ve been with, but also their symptoms, as we instructed them to,” Mullenix said.
State health officials on Friday confirmed an outbreak of at least 100 coronavirus cases that could be traced back to bars at the popular Tigerland area near campus. The state urged those who visited the area to self-quarantine.
On Saturday, Kansas State announced that it had suspended all football workouts for 14 days after a recent round of coronavirus test results. Fourteen of 130 athletes tested across its sports program were found to be positive for COVID-19.
Earlier this week the NCAA Division I Council approved a six-week practice plan that would have teams returning to the football field in July.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
