Ohio State University and the University of North Carolina have paused voluntary summer workouts amid concerning numbers of positive COVID-19 test results.
Both schools announced Wednesday that they would pause practices, but differed in their approaches. North Carolina said it would pause football activities after it revealed that 37 people within Tar Heels athletics had tested positive for the virus. Ohio State, meanwhile, paused voluntary workouts for seven programs — men's and women's basketball, field hockey, football, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball — and did not reveal the number of positive tests.
According to ESPN, the Orange County (N.C.) health department identified the North Carolina campus as a “cluster” for the coronavirus — meaning that more than five cases are present in the area. The positive tests were not limited to student-athletes, and reportedly included coaches and staff, as well. Those affected, and anybody they came into contact with, will have to self-isolate for 14 days, according to the school.
At Ohio State, the decision not to reveal the number of positive cases was made out of concern that to do so could "lead to the identification of specific individuals and compromise their medical privacy." ESPN reports that those student-athletes who tested positive will also have to self-isolate for a period of 14 days.
As with the country at large, both North Carolina and Ohio are seeing increases in positive cases. North Carolina confirmed 1,435 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, while Ohio reported 1,277 new cases.
The NCAA will allow mandatory workouts to begin on July 13 for football programs that begin their season on Labor Day weekend, while Monday marked the day required workouts could begin for teams that start the season on Aug. 29.
