Rutgers football players contacted COVID-19 at party, report says
Members of the quarantined Rutgers football program along with student athletes from other sports attended an on-campus party, which led to positive COVID-19 cases, two unnamed sources told NJ.com.
Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli on Wednesday revealed that 15 football players had tested positive. Persichilli and Gov. Phil Murphy were bringing attention to gatherings that had resulted in the spread of the virus, particularly among teens and young adults.
"When there are hundreds of people crammed into a house where the air conditioning system is simply blowing the air around and where people are not wearing face coverings, you have also invited coronavirus to your party. We all need to be smart and be safe," Murphy said Wednesday.
Rutgers football spokesman Hasim Phillips confirmed on Monday that at least 10 members of the program had tested positive and the entire program had been paused. Philips told New Jersey 101.5 the university had no additional comment about the team's quarantine.
While Rutgers football attempts to play this season most of New Jersey's smaller schools have suspended their season.
The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Council of Presidents voted Monday to postpone fall sports. Monmouth University in West Long Branch, Rider University in Lawrenceville and Saint Peter's University in Jersey City all compete in the MAAC.
Kean, Montclair, New Jersey City University, Ramapo, Rowan, Stockton, The College of New Jersey, William Paterson, Rutgers-Newark and Rutgers-Camden all had their fall season postponed as well when the New Jersey Athletic Conference pulled the plug.
Other leagues postponing their season include they Ivy League (Princeton); Middle Atlantic Conference (FDU-Florham, Stevens) and the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (Bloomfield, Caldwell, Felician and Georgian Court).
Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ
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