Florida Gators shut down through at least week's end
A COVID-19 outbreak last week that ripped through the Florida football program, including positive tests for more than 20 players and head coach Dan Mullen, as well as at least two assistant coaches, is keeping the program shut down through at least Monday.
During Wednesday's SEC coaches teleconference, Mullen revealed that the Gators have closed up shop on campus through week's end – and said the decision was made last week, when the Florida-LSU game scheduled for last Saturday was postponed.
“There's not a whole lot going with our team right now, we're kind of all in quarantine, isolated and working remotely at this point,” Mullen said. “We're right now, you know, I'm doing fine, thanks for asking.
“The team, for the most part, very similar. The majority of our guys had very minor symptoms. What we did was follow the NFL model, and out of an abundance of caution, we completely shut down the program to get back to zero positive tests. We're going to be closed until Monday, and we'll open back up at that point.”
In the Gators' last batch of COVID-19 tests, taken Tuesday, per Mullen, the team did have one additional positive test among its players.
Florida is scheduled to face Missouri October 31, and Mullen said Florida won't be back at full strength but expected the game to be played.
“I haven't even really thought of that, because our expectations is to be back on Monday at this point,” Mullen said, when asked if the Gators might have to yet reshuffle the Missouri game. “But we'd figure it out. We'll find a way.
“That's something we'd have to discuss with the league at that point, your ability to get them back practicing. Hopefully we're back Monday at this point moving forward, we won't be full capacity.”
Mullen is quarantined away from his family at home, he shared, and said thus far other family members have tested negative for the coronavirus.
"I'm away from the kids and the family," Mullen said. "I've isolated from them. I've got my bedroom and my office off the bedroom. They've stayed healthy. Multiple negative tests."
