MLB announces initial COVID-19 testing results |
Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association jointly announced today the first set of COVID-19 testing results conducted as part of the mandatory Intake Screening process under MLB’s COVID-19 Health Monitoring & Testing Plan, prior to the upcoming start of full-squad workouts. All Major League active roster players, non-roster invitees, and Tier 1 and 2 Club staff members are required to complete the Intake Screening process, which includes a five-day at-home quarantine, a contactless temperature check, a diagnostic PCR saliva test, an antibody test, and a self-quarantine until the results of the PCR are reported. The Intake Screening process is one component of the 2021 health and safety protocols that reflect the recommendations of medical experts and infectious disease specialists.
The independent Utah laboratory has reported the following Intake Test results through the first week of Spring Training: The total number of new positive tests is 13, which is 0.3% of the 4,336 total samples collected and tested. Nine (9) of these 13 positives are players and four (4) are staff members. Eleven (11) different Clubs have had one or more individuals test positive during Intake Testing. In addition, all individuals who have cleared the Intake Screening process immediately become subject to regular Monitoring Testing. Among the 2,298 Monitoring Testing samples collected and analyzed to date, there have been no new positives. The total number of diagnostic tests conducted of players and Tier 1 and 2 staff members since the start of Intake Testing is 6,634.
