Florida Gators add six new COVID-19 cases in weekly update

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) - Florida football added six new COVID-19 cases in its weekly update on COVID testing.

In total 37 players have tested positive for the virus in the month of October.

#Gators football adds 6 more COVID-19 cases pic.twitter.com/4kShox3M06
— Jacquie Franciulli (@JacquieFran_) October 27, 2020

UF had to pause all team activities after having a COVID-19 outbreak after traveling to Texas A&M. At least one player is presumed positive for COVID-19 while on the trip.

“Unfortunately you end up going on the road and then you’re adding in a two-and-a-half hour plane ride, you’re adding in bus trips to and from the hotel, you’re adding in pre-game meals, and usually the hotels are not quite as big, and the spacing, as it is at home, so you’re in a tighter meal environment,” Mullen said during his press conference on Monday.

“You’re adding in a visiting locker room -- I don’t know if you’ve been to many, it’s not like the NFL where they have standards, right, of the home and visitor locker room. A lot of times, the visitor’s locker room, when you’re in there, it’s about a quarter of the size, so basically, when you travel right now, you’re going to put your team; there is no social distancing. You’re putting your same number of people in 25% of the space when you’re in there on the road. So we always knew the travel was going to be a concern and an issue for us.”

Here is the timeline of the outbreak:

Oct. 6 weekly update: 1

Oct. 13 update: 5

Oct. 20 update: 25

Oct. 27 update: 6

Florida returned to practice on Monday. Mullen does not expect to be at full strength for the Gators' game against Missouri on Saturday, but they would have enough players to player.

Florida has now issued 2,720 total tests to football players since the return to campus on May 26. The Gators have had 68 total positive results. Meanwhile, there were six new positive cases in non-football sports this week.