A positive test for COVID-19 has Missouri State’s swimming team self-quarantining for precautionary reasons, the university confirmed Thursday.
A university spokesman told the Springfield News-Leader that one swimmer tested positive. The school’s contact tracing system triggered the majority of the men’s and women’s swim teams quarantining after possibly practicing with the infected team member. The swim team will take at least a two-week hiatus from practices and team activities.
The swimming case is one of 15 confirmed COVID-19 cases in the university’s tally since classes resumed Monday. Since Missouri State started testing athletes in late May, according to local CBS affiliate KOLR, 60 of 837 tests have returned positive.
Last week, the Missouri Valley Conference, of which Missouri State is a member, postponed fall conference schedules and championships. That decision doesn’t directly affect swimming, as winter sports in the MVC (women’s swimming only) are not affected by the postponement. Athletes in fall sports can participate in non-conference competitions, within public healthy and institutional/NCAA guidelines, which marks a departure from many leagues that are going conference-only.
Missouri State is one of several colleges to have operations, athletic and otherwise, severely tested by rising COVID-19 cases as students move back in for the fall semester. The University of North Carolina extended an original 24-hour pause on all athletics for another day through Friday. In-person classes have been halted at Notre Dame as the campus has accrued more than 300 confirmed cases in its first week back.