Washington In 'Intensive' Protocols After Positive COVID-19 Test

After hitting the pause button on fans at FedEx yet again, the Washington Football team is heading into lockdown mode after a player tested positive for the virus.

ASHBURN, Va. -  The Washington Football Team has officially announced that no fans will be able to be in attendance this Sunday at FedExField for the November 22 home game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Via a team-issued statement: "The Washington Football Team has been continuously monitoring the evolving health situation in the DMV region. After careful consideration and working in close coordination with health officials in Prince George’s County, we have decided that this Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals will be played without fans in attendance. We take the responsibility of protecting our staff, players, fans, and the community seriously and feel this is the right decision at this time." 

The announcement came shortly after the Baltimore Ravens also announced that their home game this Sunday would also be played without fans. 

Now, it seems as though the virus has made its way to the locker room as well after a player was confirmed for testing positive for the COVID-19 Virus on Tuesday morning. (NFL Network was first to report.) That player, who has yet to be named, has not attended the team's facilities since before Sunday and did not travel to Detroit for the team's 30-27 loss to the Lions.

The Washington Football Team is going into intensive protocols after a player was confirmed positive for COVID-19, source said.

The player hasn't been in the facility the past three days and didn't travel for Sunday's game at Detroit.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 17, 2020

This is the first Washington Football Team player who has been placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list since before the start of the season.

The team also issued a statement on the player who tested positive, the steps they are taking to respond:

Last night we were made aware that a Washington player tested positive for COVID-19. The player immediately self-isolated and the contact tracing data was evaluated. All of the player's close contacts have been told to quarantine. 

Our organization has entered the NFL's intensive protocols. All meetings this week will be conducted virtually and the Inova Sports Performance Center will only be open to staff with limited access granted to the players 

We will continue to work closely with the NFL's Chief Medical Officer and follow the league's guidance. The health and safety of our players, coaches, and staff is our number one priority. 

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Due to the sharp uptick in COVID-19 cases across the region, it seemed to be only a matter of time before the team was affected by the virus in some way. 

Whether or not this positive test ends up causing an issue with Sunday's game against the Bengals, however, is yet to be seen.