Penn State Athletics: Four COVID Positive Results Following Latest Round Of Testing

Four more Penn State student-athletes have tested positive for COVID-19, Penn State Athletics announced in its weekly testing report Wednesday.

Between Nov. 14 and 20, the department administered 1,381 tests, resulting in four new positives.

Wednesday’s reported figures bring the athletic department’s cumulative positive tests to 192 since testing began earlier this summer. Penn State has performed 16,483 tests since student-athletes returned to campus.

Penn State Athletics did not indicate any of its programs have paused activities following the reported positives. The department didn’t respond to a request for further comment.

The university did not comment further on Penn State men’s basketball’s postponed season opener against Drexel. The matchup was previously scheduled for Wednesday night but was moved due to “COVID-19 protocols.”

The newly reported figures are already factored into Penn State’s COVID-19 Dashboard, which aggregates coronavirus testing data across the university.

Each student-athlete who’s tested positive to date has entered a 14-day isolation period before undergoing additional tests and resuming organized activities. When positives are reported, Penn State said it will also implement contact tracing to identify individuals who may have crossed paths with those affected. Identified individuals will also be quarantined, even if they’re asymptomatic.

“The health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff and the broader community are of the utmost importance,” Athletics said in a statement. “We expect our student-athletes to follow University requirements and guidelines for limiting the spread of COVID-19, including wearing masks, practicing social distancing, washing their hands regularly and not gathering in large groups.”

Penn State Athletics reports updated student-athlete coronavirus testing data every Wednesday.

Penn State has reported 4,810 positive cases among University Park students since testing began on August 7. The university’s total grew once again when it added 223 new student cases Tuesday.