Less than a week after an unnamed player for the Ottawa Senators became the first NHL player to test positive for coronavirus, a second Senator has tested positive for the respiratory disease. The team is withholding the names of both affected players.
The announcement of the second player's diagnosis came out on Saturday. According to a statement the team released, the player was on the team during a west coast road trip that included games in San Jose, Anaheim and Los Angeles. The other player's diagnosis was announced on Tuesday and was also part of the 52 people the club ravelled to those places -- a group that includes players, staff, media, guests and flight crew.
The team noted that 44 people from that group have not shown symptoms of COVID-19. Eight people have been tested and two tests came back positive, meaning the team really only knows that six people for sure do not have the disease. The Senators instructed everyone who went to that California trip to self-isolate for two weeks on March 13.
"The Ottawa Senators' medical team is actively monitoring players and staff and following all appropriate and professional guidelines to help ensure the health and safety of our employees and the greater community," the statement read. "To be fully transparent with our fans and stakeholders, we will continue to provide periodic updates as appropriate, while maintaining the privacy of the individuals impacted."
The NHL announced on March 12 that it was pausing its season in response to the growing number of coronavirus responses from leagues around the globe. Commissioner Gary Bettman has said he wants to hand out the Stanley Cup and have a champion this season.
There have been more than 19,000 confirmed cases in the United States of coronavirus, and the disease has killed 260 people, per CBS News.
