Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia reports that five Phillies players who had been training at the team’s facility in Clearwater, Florida have tested positive for COVID-19. Three staff members have been hit as well. And it might get worse, as a number of players and staff are still waiting for test results. Indeed, the Phillies say that they are still awaiting the results of 32 tests.
The club is not commenting on the specifics or the identities of the people infected, citing medical privacy laws. Salisbury does report, however, that none of the cases, at present, appear to be causing serious medical issues for those infected.
The outbreak comes as numbers of cases are spiking in Florida. Arizona is likewise experiencing a spike in COVID-19 cases.
This is not going to get better any time soon, folks. This story will likely repeat itself with other clubs.
UPDATE: It already is:
The Toronto Blue Jays on Thursday shut down their spring training facility in Dunedin, Fla., after a player exhibited COVID-19 symptoms, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) June 19, 2020
Dunedin is just up the road from Clearwater, where eight people in the Philadelphia Phillies organization tested positive.
And not just in baseball:
BREAKING: The Lightning have had multiple players test positive for the coronavirus 11 days into Phase 2. The organization has closed the arena and is performing contact tracing https://t.co/45oU2hWDXB
— Diana C. Nearhos (@dianacnearhos) June 19, 2020