Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is one of several NFL players in Texas who’ve tested positive for the novel coronavirus, according to NFL Network.
Other players who’ve tested positive are also members of the Cowboys, and some Houston Texans players are also in the group covered by the report. Elliott is the only person among the group who’s been identified so far, and the news was confirmed by his agent.
At this time, it’s not known how many players from each team have tested positive because of HIPAA laws, which was explained by the Cowboys.
“Due to federal and local privacy laws, we are unable to provide information regarding the personal health of any of our employees,” the statement read. “We are following all CDC, local and NFL guidelines to keep our facilities safe, including limiting employee access.”
None of the players who tested positive has been to the teams’ facilities, and all of them reportedly have followed all of the health guidelines not to infect others.
COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas have recently skyrocketed. Authorities say there were 2,287 people hospitalized for the respiratory infection as of Sunday, June 14. That number set a new record in the state.
Texas was also one of the first states to end its stay-at-home order, which ended on April 30, and on Friday, June 12, Houston opened up to 75 percent capacity.
CBS News reports that Houston officials are now considering setting a new stay-at-home order and possibly turning the Texans’ NRG Stadium into a hospital for a time.
More than 90,000 people have tested positive for the virus in Texas as of this writing, based on figures released by John Hopkins University, with 2,000 deaths and Some 55,000 people who’ve recuperated.
“We’ve already uncorked the genie. We got our wish, which was to end the home quarantine orders,” Dr. Jeremy Finkelstein, an emergency medicine specialist at Houston Methodist, told CBS News in a June 13 report. “And now we’re seeing people treat that as if COVID-19 is no longer an issue, and that’s far from the fact.”
More than 20 states saw significant increases in COVID-19 cases over the past weekend, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Arizona.
NFL training camps are scheduled to open in July, and the regular season is supposed to start September 10, which now may be affected.
A source for TMZ Sports says Elliott was feeling poorly for a day but now feels fine.
