Red Sox close Florida facility after positive coronavirus test

Field Level Media
26 Mar 2020, 01:19 GMT+10

A Boston Red Sox minor leaguer tested positive for the coronavirus, and the team shut down its Fenway South complex in Fort Myers, Fla., as a precaution.

The team announced the positive test on Tuesday but didn't identify the player. He last was seen at the training site on March 15 and returned home, where the test was taken, the team announced.

"Given the timing of the player's positive test and travel, we believe it is more likely that he contracted COVID-19 after he left Fort Myers. Nevertheless, out of an abundance of caution, the club is shutting down Fenway South from all activity effective today, for at least two weeks," the team statement said.

The Red Sox said the facility will undergo extensive cleaning for sanitizing.

The team said the affected player is doing well. All players who came in contact with him have been instructed by the team to self-quarantine for two weeks.

In a conference call last week, Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom said he knew it was possible that a player could test positive.

"That's something we're being very vigilant in monitoring," Bloom said. "You look around and where this is going, obviously we know that it's very, very possible that it's going to happen at some point. We're just trying to make sure everyone is educated and, again, stay in touch with everybody."

The New York Yankees confirmed earlier that two minor leaguers tested positive for the virus.

--Field Level Media

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