Penn State Athletics reported just four positive COVID-19 cases following its latest round of testing, the department released its most recent weekly update during on Wednesday.
In total Penn State conducted 1,269 tests which represent total tests but not total individuals. Per Big Ten health and safety guidelines, all student-athletes and staff are tested on a daily basis.
The latest round of testing continues a now months long trend of positives in low single-digits are low double-digits. Generally speaking the athletic department has not experienced any significant outbreak since an early September reporting period that saw 48 positives return over a week of testing. Those positives paused team actives for several undisclosed programs on campus. Penn State football was no impacted by those results.
Since then, the department has seen its positive case load dwindle significantly and has since spiked, even in spite of localized case increases on campus and Centre County at-large.
Tuesday, Penn State reported 33 new COVID-19 cases on campus. Athletic department figures are reflected in the university’s totals. Generally speaking the absence of students on campus should continue to be reflected in relatively low COVID-19 numbers. Centre County reported 100 new cases on Wednesday as numbers continue to rise across the region and state.
Following various cancellations across the Big Ten, Penn State football could be one of three programs to complete its full conference schedule without interruption. The Nittany Lions will face Michigan State this weekend and then a to-be-determined Big Ten opponent the following week as part of the league’s crossover event.
The time and location of that game has yet to be announced.
Penn State men’s basketball is the only program on campus to have postponed a game related to COVID-19, the Nittany Lions’ season-opener against Drexel postponed a day prior to the contest due to a positive case on Penn State’s staff. It’s unclear at this time if the game will actually be rescheduled.
