Penn State Athletics Reports Five New COVID-19 Cases Following Latest Round Of Testing

Penn State Athletics has reported five positive COVID tests following the latest round of testing, the department announced on Wednesday during its weekly release of testing results.

For the period of December 12-18, Penn State Athletics conducted 1,005 COVID-19 tests. As per usual, testing totals are not a reflection of total student-athletes tested as student-athletes are staff are tested on a daily basis per Big Ten health and safety regulations.

Overall, Wednesday’s report continues an ongoing trend of relatively minimal positive test results with those results not spiking into double-digit figures since late October, when there were 13 in consecutive weeks. Penn State athletics has only had to postpone one game – the men’s basketball season opener against Drexel – because of Penn State-related positive results.

Penn State women’s basketball’s previous scheduled game for Wednesday night against Michigan has also been postponed, but the positive test causing such a change was within the Wolverines’ program, according to a press release.

Otherwise, Penn State continues to report fairly low figures, a number greatly helped by the absence of students on campus. Centre County at large reported 81 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday. Pennsylvania reported 230 new deaths related to the virus statewide on Wednesday, as well.