The NFL revealed Sunday that several positive COVID-19 tests had been found a day earlier by one of its test partners. Among teams that reported false positives, the Minnesota Vikings said they had 12, the New York Jets 10, and the Chicago Bears nine.
The league has asked the New Jersey BioReference lab to examine the results “while the clubs work to confirm or rule out the positive tests.” The NFL did not identify the teams or say how many tests were positive overall.
The Jets canceled a hike on Saturday night, but had a full practice Sunday morning after the previously positive tests came back negative. The Bears move their practice schedule for Sunday morning to noon.
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The Pittsburgh Steelers said they had six false positions and that players will be back in practice Monday. The Philadelphia Eagles kept fourth players out of Sunday’s draw. The Cleveland Browns called their training all together.
The number of positive COVID-19 tests of a specific facility that may in fact be false proves the precarious position that the NFL is in less than three weeks from the regular season opener.
“Sure probably better that this happened now than three weeks from now,” said general manager Buffalo Bills Brandon Beane, whose club had some of those positive results. ‘But it seems like every few weeks, or even every week, something happens. Who knows what the next curveball will be? ”
Beane said tests in the Northeast Polder have gone ‘hill wind’ and called it ‘a lab issue and not a real issue with our boys at the moment’ after several bills were kept out of practice.
Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 – even a false positive on a repeat test – is required to have two more negative tests before being cleared to return.
The NFL uses BioReference for all of its COVID-19 tests, though tests are conducted by labs across the country to ensure teams get results quickly – hopefully within 24 hours. After this weekend, there had been four confirmed positive tests for players who were at training camps.
“Clubs take immediate precautionary measures, as set forth in the NFL-NFLPA’s Health and Safety Protocols, to track contact, isolate individuals, and temporarily adjust the schedule, as appropriate,” the NFL said in a statement. “The other labs used for NFL testing did not have similar results.”
Jets offensive lineman Leo Koloamatangi, who has been sidelined this season due to family health concerns, tweeted: ‘I just wish for safety and great health for my brothers and their families at the moment. It turns out, testing is not as reliable as we all had hoped. ”
The Bears were alerted Sunday morning to the test results. “We follow additional NFL-NFLPA test protocol and confirm all nine results as false positives,” the team said in a statement.
Beane stressed the need for transparency in the Bills’ organization and said some players were at a conference call with NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills.
“We had an open dialogue with our players,” he explained. “We even had some of our leadership players play with Dr. Sills this morning just to hear directly from him, who is aware of all these tests that have gone a bit in the hairline here in the Noordeastpolder.
“And I think this was good for them to hear, because of course, if you’re going to be out there tackling and blocking and things like that, passing through the ball, people can be unfortunate if we miss some guys.”
The Browns said initial lab results indicated multiple “presumptive positive cases” involving coaches, players and staff.
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“While we have indicated to the NFL that they are investigating irregularities in lab results that have affected other clubs as well, out of an overabundance of caution, we will follow our comprehensive Emergency Response Plan for Infectious Disease immediately, and pause any activity in our building. today and hold free meetings, ”said a Browns spokesman. “Per trial procedure, the team is also checking for data up close for contact detection and instructed self-isolation for those who test positive and others as appropriate, although they all remain asymptomatic.
“Our facility is currently a thorough process of deep cleaning and disinfection and is closed to all persons for all days.”
