NEW YORK (AP)The NFL had 77 constructive COVID-19 checks from 11 groups re-examined by a New Jersey lab after false positives, and all these checks got here again unfavorable.
The league requested the New Jersey lab BioReference to research the outcomes, and people 77 checks are being re-tested as soon as extra to verify they had been false positives.
Amongst groups reporting false positives, the Minnesota Vikings stated that they had 12, the New York Jets 10 and the Chicago Bears 9.
The Jets canceled a walk-through Saturday evening however had a full observe Sunday morning after the beforehand constructive checks got here again unfavorable. The Bears moved their observe scheduled for Sunday morning to the afternoon.
The Detroit Lions had a participant with a false constructive take a look at from the identical lab in New Jersey and he was held out of form Sunday, a league supply informed The Related Press. The particular person spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of the league and staff weren’t disclosing take a look at outcomes.
The Pittsburgh Steelers stated that they had six false positives and people gamers can be again at observe Monday. The Philadelphia Eagles held out 4 gamers from figuring out Sunday. The Cleveland Browns initially canceled observe, however after re-testing turned up unfavorable checks they determined to have their exercise.
There are 5 labs nationwide that service the 32 groups, with solely the New Jersey facility having the false positives this weekend.
The variety of constructive COVID-19 checks from a selected facility which may truly be false demonstrates the precarious place the NFL is in lower than three weeks from the regular-season opener.
”Undoubtedly most likely higher that this occurred now than three weeks from now,” stated Buffalo Payments common supervisor Brandon Beane, whose membership had a few of these constructive outcomes. ”However it looks as if each few weeks, and even each week, one thing’s occurring. Who know what the following curveball can be?”
Beane stated checks within the Northeast had gone ”haywire,” and referred to as it ”a lab difficulty and never a real difficulty with our guys at present” after a number of Payments had been held out of form.
Anybody testing constructive for COVID-19 – even a false constructive upon a retest – is required to have two extra unfavorable checks earlier than being cleared to return.
The NFL makes use of BioReference for all of its COVID-19 testing, although checks are dealt with by labs all through the nation to make sure groups get outcomes shortly – hopefully inside 24 hours. Heading into this weekend, there had been 4 confirmed constructive checks for gamers who had been at coaching camps.
”Golf equipment are taking quick precautionary measures as outlined within the NFL-NFLPA’s well being and security protocols to incorporate contact tracing, isolation of people and briefly adjusting the schedule, the place acceptable,” the NFL stated in an announcement. ”The opposite laboratories used for NFL testing haven’t had comparable outcomes.”
Jets offensive lineman Leo Koloamatangi, who opted out of taking part in this season due to household well being issues, tweeted: ”Wishing nothing however security and nice well being over my brothers and their households proper now. Because it seems, testing isn’t as dependable as we’d all hoped.”
The Bears had been alerted Sunday morning concerning the take a look at findings.
”That’s the place I used to be actually excited for the best way we went about speaking with the coordinators, the coaches, the gamers early, simply letting them know, `Maintain on for the now. We’re gonna delay this factor. Allow us to work via this a bit bit,”’ Bears coach Matt Nagy stated.
”After which we had been capable of get these gamers and all people concerned within the constructive take a look at, we had been capable of get them in and clearly get re-tested and are available again with the second take a look at, and it got here again all unfavorable. So now we needed to go to, `Now, what can we do?’ That’s once we went forward and figured we had been capable of transfer ahead with observe. We delayed it.”
Beane harassed the necessity for transparency all through the Payments’ group and stated some gamers had been on a convention name with the NFL’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allen Sills.
”We had an open dialogue with our gamers,” he defined. ”We even had a few of our management crew of gamers on with Dr. Sills this morning simply listening to straight with him, who’s conscious of all these checks which have gone a bit bit haywire right here within the Northeast.
”And I feel that was good for them to listen to, as a result of naturally, for those who’re going to be on the market tackling and blocking and issues like that, passing the ball round, individuals could be unnerved if we received some guys lacking.”
The Browns stated preliminary outcomes from the lab indicated a number of ”presumptive constructive circumstances” that included coaches, gamers and employees. The staff didn’t disclose the variety of constructive checks and had resumed the scheduled observe about 4 hours after calling it off.
The staff additionally did an intensive cleansing of the ability in Berea, Ohio.
”We’ve concluded our re-testing of every preliminary presumptive constructive outcome from yesterday amongst gamers, coaches and employees,” a staff spokesperson stated.
”All have come again as unfavorable, which is per the irregularities throughout the league from a number of groups. Consequently, we’re reopening our constructing and can resume soccer actions this afternoon. As per protocol, the people with take a look at ends in query could not re-enter the constructing till they obtain one other unfavorable take a look at outcome tomorrow.”
—
AP Professional Soccer Author Dennis Waszak Jr. and Sports activities Writers John Wawrow, Stephen Whyno, Larry Lage, Tom Canavan, Tom Withers and Andrew Seligman contributed to this report.
—
Extra AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and -NFL