Michigan football goes virtual Monday; Harbaugh: 'Awaiting the results of confirmatory tests'

Orion Sang, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read
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Michigan football has paused team activities because of concerns about COVID-19.

“Yeah, today, out of an abundance of caution, Michigan football is going to hold everything virtually due to — we had an increased number of presumptive positives that are awaiting confirmation,” head coach Jim Harbaugh said in his weekly news conference on Monday.

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Harbaugh later clarified his remark about the increased number of presumptive positive tests by saying, “That’s an increased number from zero. It was more than one. It was a few. So it was increased.”

Harbaugh declined to predict whether the Wolverines would play this Saturday against Maryland.

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"This is day to day," Harbaugh said. "When the results come back, we’ll monitor those results and as always continue to be very proactive.”

When Harbaugh was asked if anyone tested positive before this past weekend's game against Penn State, he answered, "Yes."

He also revealed later that the Wolverines have had players unable to play due to presumptive positive tests. Although it releases a weekly case update, Michigan's athletic department has not revealed the number of positive tests specific to the football program this fall.

“Everybody’s tested daily," Harbaugh said. "We’ve been tested four times since Friday and every day before that. Even if they’re a presumptive positive the day before the game, night before the game, they’re not allowed to play, which we’ve had, too.”

For now, the Wolverines are in a holding pattern.

“We’re gonna follow all protocols," Harbaugh said. "We’re awaiting the results of confirmatory tests.”

This story will be updated.

Contact Orion Sang at osang@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @orion_sang. Read more on the Michigan Wolverines and sign up for our Wolverines newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan football holding all team activities virtually on Monday