Four members of the UTEP football program who are all student athletes have tested positive for COVID-19. All cases were asymptotic according to a UTEP Athletics press release.
The team a scheduled to start its first full contact practice on Sunday August 8, but due to only partial result of the team’s COVID-19 test results being released from its test on Thursday August 6, the practice was moved to Aug. 10.
“It was important to us that we tested everybody before beginning contact drills,” UTEP Athletics Director Jim Senter said.” We have protocols in place, and we are following them. We are testing and the testing is doing what it was intended to do – identify asymptomatic individuals who are positive.”
The entire football team which includes student-athletes, coaches, and staff were tested prior to the start of the team’s first padded practice on August 6.
All four student-athletes that have tested positive plus their roommates have been placed into a 14-day quarantine retroactive to Saturday Aug. 8. All other members of the team such as the coaches, staff, and student athletes began a five-day quarantine retroactive to Saturday Aug. 8 at the recommendation of team medical personal.
“I am fully supportive of the recommendations of our Sports Medicine personnel and team doctors,” Head Coach Dana Dimel said. “We can’t wait to resume preparations for our fall season, but safety comes first.”
The team will be retested on Wednesday, Aug. 12. Once those results are received from the retest are received plans will be made on when practices will resume.
An extensive cleaning of the Larry K. Durham Sports Center which houses the athletic training room, football locker room, strength and conditioning center, and football coaches’ officers will be conducted on Monday, August 10.
Isaiah Ramirez may be reached at Prospector @Utep.edu
