Atlanta United player, Inter Miami player each test positive for coronavirus
A pair of Major League Soccer teams announced that players have tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday, less than a month before the league is set to resume play near Orlando, Florida.
Both Inter Miami and Atlanta United each announced that a single player has tested positive, however neither club revealed who.
According to Atlanta, its player is currently asymptomatic and has been observing isolation protocols since the positive test came back. No additional staff or player has since tested positive, however everyone will be tested again on Friday before training resumes.
“Since Atlanta United began individual player workouts on May 6, the club has followed MLS health and safety guidelines, including proper physical distancing and sanitization during individual workouts, small group training sessions and full group training sessions,” the team said in a statement. “The club will continue to work in close consultation with the CDC, local health authorities and Major League Soccer regarding testing and training guidelines.”
The player who tested positive for Miami is also asymptomatic and in isolation, the team said. He revealed that he had been in close contact “with an individual who showed mild symptoms” during a health screening.
Several other clubs have had players test positive, including the Philadelphia Union, FC Dallas and D.C. United. NYCFC had a staff member test positive, too.
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All 26 MLS teams will participate in a World Cup-style tournament at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Disney World in Florida starting on July 8. The NBA is planning to resume its season at Disney World on July 30, too.
There were more than 2.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States as of Thursday night, according to The New York Times, and more than 118,000 deaths attributed to it. Florida had nearly 86,000 cases, and Georgia had more than 58,000.
Orange County, Florida — where Disney World is located — announced on Thursday that residents now must wear a face mask in public, too, amid a sharp increase in positive cases in the state. Florida saw 3,207 confirmed new cases on Thursday alone, a new daily record in the state, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
NWSL player tests positive
A National Women’s Soccer League player tested positive for the coronavirus on Thursday, too.
Neither the player nor the team she plays for were identified due to privacy laws, per the Associated Press. The team is currently contact tracing and now testing everyone who came in contact with the player.
It is the first reported case in the league.
“The health and safety of the players and staff is of utmost importance and the NWSL is doing everything to ensure the affected player is receiving proper care,” the league said in a statement, via the Associated Press.
The NWSL will resume its season on June 27 with a similar tournament as the MLS in Utah. The state had more than 16,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus as of Thursday night, per The New York Times, the majority of which were in the Salt Lake City area.
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