STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WTAJ) — Penn State Athletics reported on Wednesday that over 40 student-athletes have tested positive for COVID-19.

In a statement released by the Associate Athletics Director for Strategic Communications Kristina Petersen, 48 student-athletes tested positive for the virus after Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics conducted 920 COVID-19 tests between August 31 and September 4.

The test results represent a 5.0 percent positivity rate for Penn State Athletics. As a result, team activities have been paused for several programs and standard isolation and precautionary quarantine has been initiated. Contact tracing is also being performed and no evidence was reported to suggest COVID-19 was transmitted during practice or training activities. 

The health and safety of our student-athletes, coaches, staff, and the broader community are of the utmost importance. Therefore, as part of the protocols established in the return to campus plan by the Penn State Athletics medical staff and in consultation with University, local and national officials and guidelines, individuals with a positive test have been assigned to isolation for 14 days and will be retested at that point.

In addition to isolation, contact tracing procedures have been implemented, which includes quarantine and testing for those individuals who might have been determined to be close contacts of positive individuals, even if asymptomatic.

Kristina Petersen

Petersen also added that student-athletes and staff are expected to follow University requirements and guidelines for limiting the spread of COVID-19, including wearing masks, social distancing, regular hand washing, and not gathering in large groups.