There’s no good time to have a player or staff member test positive for the coronavirus, but the timing couldn’t have been worse for the 49ers.
The day before San Francisco was set to take on the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, the team had a player test positive for the virus. Reportedly, the infected player is wide receiver Kendrick Bourne.
The team announced the closure of their facility on Wednesday.
“The San Francisco 49ers were informed today that a player has tested positive for COVID-19 and the individual went into self-quarantine,” the team confirmed in a statement. “Our organization has entered the NFL’s intensive protocol and we are working with the league on contact tracing to identify high risk individuals. All team functions will be conducted virtually today.
“The health and safety of our players, staff and community are the organization’s highest priority. We will continue to work closely with the NFL and medical professional and will follow their direction.”
Bourne gave his sample for the test on Tuesday morning. Given that Tuesday was a workday for the Niners, there’s a chance that he could have infected other players.
The NFL has not yet announced whether they will allow San Francisco’s game against Green Bay to go forward.