The upcoming NFL game between the New England Patriots and Kansas City Chiefs has been postponed after both teams reported positive coronavirus tests.
In a statement on Saturday, the NFL said the game will be "rescheduled to Monday or Tuesday after positive COVID-19 tests on both teams."
"In consultation with infectious disease experts, both clubs are working closely with the NFL and NFLPA to evaluate multiple close contacts, perform additional testing and monitor developments," the statement said. "All decisions will be made with the health and safety of players, team and gamely personnel as our primary concern."
Earlier on Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Field Yates reported that Patriots quarterback Cam Newton tested positive for the virus and would be out for the game. Reps for Newton did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
In a Saturday statement, the Patriots announced that a player tested positive for COVID-19, but did not mention Newton by name.
“Late last night, we received notice that a Patriots player tested positive for COVID-19. The player immediately entered self-quarantine,” the statement said. “Several additional players, coaches and staff who have been in close contact with the player received point of care tests this morning and all were negative for COVID-19.”
The news of the postponement comes less than a week after the NFL reported its first COVID-19 outbreak since kicking off the 2020 season in early September.
On Tuesday, the league announced that three players and five personnel with the Tennessee Titans tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Since then, five more players and three additional staff members tested positive, bringing the team’s total to 16, according to The Washington Post.
The coronavirus cases led the NFL to postpone the Titan’s Sunday matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The game was rescheduled for Oct. 25 in Week 7.
Following the news of the Titans outbreak, Patriots coach Bill Belichick told reporters in a press conference that his team is “pretty vigilant” when it comes to preventing the spread of the virus.
“We monitor everything every day. We don't just do it when there's a problem or something comes up somewhere else,” he said Wednesday. “We do it on a daily basis and make everyone, because this is everybody, it's not just players — it's players and coaches and staff and everybody else — make everyone aware or if we can do something better, then we talk to them about how we can do it better.”
Belicheck added. “So, we try to monitor it the best we can and we, I think, are pretty vigilant with really all of us.”
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