Kansas City player the latest to test positive for COVID-19 at MLS tournament

A member of Sporting Kansas City is the latest player to test positive for COVID-19 at the MLS is Back Tournament.

The club confirmed Friday that one of its players had recorded a pair of consecutive positive test results. Sporting Kansas City said the positive test results followed mandatory testing on two consecutive days upon arrival last Sunday in Florida and five testing days since.

All other members in the Kansas City travelling party have tested negative.

Sporting Kansas City is scheduled to open its tournament Sunday against Minnesota United.

The news comes one day after Nashville SC became the second team forced to withdraw from the tournament due to multiple COVID-19 tests. FC Dallas pulled out on Monday for the same reason.

Major League Soccer said in a release Friday that one player had tested positive since Thursday.

Players, staff and officials are being tested ever other day at the tournament, which marks the league’s first action since it halted play March 12 due to the global pandemic.

Sporting Kansas City said the player in question had been isolated after being evaluated.

Anyone who has spent at least 10 minutes within two metres of a person who has tested positive will be tested again. Under the league protocol, they are allowed to train or work as long as they wear a face mask at all times when not competing, remain asymptomatic and continue to test negative.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 10, 2020.

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press