Since testing began a month ago, the University of Missouri’s athletics department has had 10 positive cases for COVID-19 out of 377 tests given to athletes, coaches and staff, MU confirmed Wednesday.
Nine of those who have tested positive have been athletes while the other was a staff member, a department spokesman confirmed. None of the 10 people who have tested positive have been hospitalized. MU has not disclosed what sports those nine athletes play.
That’s a positive test rate of 2.6 percent, well below the most recent national average of 9 percent, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Wednesday, there had been 597 positive cases of COVID-19 in Boone County, Mo., including 231 active cases, according to Columbia/Boone County Public Health and Human Services. A Boone County record-high 51 new cases were reported Wednesday.
Mizzou athletics last released test results on June 25, when five total athletes and staff members had tested positive out of 308 tests.
For Mizzou athletes, testing began the first week of June when football and men’s and women’s basketball teams were allowed to return to campus for voluntary workouts. Since then, the cross country, women’s soccer and women’s volleyball teams were allowed to return to workouts June 15, followed by the return of gymnastics, swimming and wrestling teams this past Monday.
All athletes were required to be tested for COVID-19 upon returning to campus for workouts. They undergo daily screening for temperature and other symptoms. On July 6, MU allowed athletes from baseball, softball, track and field, golf and women’s tennis to return to campus for workouts.