Penn State Athletics Reports 6 More COVID-19 Positives

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

Between November 6 and 13, the department administered 1,558 tests, resulting in six new positives.

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.

Wednesday’s reported figures — which continue a trend of single-digit and low double-digit weekly increases — bring the athletic department’s cumulative positive tests to 188 since testing began in the summer.

The department has performed 15,102 tests since student-athletes returned to campus over the summer.

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

Each student-athlete who has 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 4,473 positive cases among University Park students since testing began on August 7. The university’s total grew once again when it added 145 new student cases Tuesday.