Titans, Vikings close facilities after positive COVID-19 tests

The Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings suspended team activities on Tuesday after a number of positive COVID-19 tests following their Sunday game in the third week of the NFL’s 2020 season.

The Titans, who played at Minnesota on Sunday, had three players and five team personnel test positive for the virus, the NFL said in a statement. The Vikings have not had a positive test but suspended activities as a precautionary measure.

“Both clubs are working closely with the NFL and the NFLPA, including our infectious disease experts, to evaluate close contacts, perform additional testing and monitor developments,” the NFL said in a statement. “All decisions will be made with health and safety as our primary consideration. We will continue to share updates as more information becomes available.”

The Titans said they halted all in-person work.

“Out of the abundance of caution, the organization has decided to work remotely today as we follow NFL protocols related to the COVID-19 virus,” the Titans said in a statement. “Several tests have come back positive and are working through the process of confirming them. We will have more information tomorrow.”

A decision has not been made about Sunday’s game between the Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers in Nashville.

“We have been informed to proceed with our game preparations for Sunday’s game until we are informed otherwise,” the Steelers said. “We will provide more information when available.”

Having not allowed spectators at their home opener, the Vikings had 250 staff and family members present on Sunday to test their safety protocols in preparation for the potential return of fans at home games later this year.

The Vikings are scheduled to visit the Houston Texans on Sunday. Despite not having had any positive tests, the Vikings said they suspended in-person club activities as per the NFL protocol.

“Today the NFL notified us that members of the Tennessee Titans organization have tested positive for COVID-19,” the Vikings said in a statement. “As of this morning, we have not received any positive results from Vikings testing following Sunday’s game.”