A second Utah Jazz player — All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell — preliminarily has tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19).
The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly about the sensitive nature of the diagnosis.
Mitchell’s teammate, center Rudy Gobert, on Wednesday was the first NBA player to test positive for COVID-19. His diagnosis was discovered just before the Jazz were scheduled to play a road game against Oklahoma City. The game was postponed just before tip-off, and Gobert’s positive test was announced shortly after.
The NBA also announced it was suspending its season "until further notice. The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic."
Following the game, Jazz players and traveling staff were tested for the virus.
“As a follow-up to yesterday’s positive COVID-19 test, Oklahoma health officials tested all members of the Utah Jazz traveling party, confirming one additional positive outcome for a Jazz player,” the Jazz said in a statement. “We are working closely with the CDC, Oklahoma and Utah state officials, and the NBA to monitor their health and determine the best path moving forward.”
Mitchell has been in the Jazz lineup and was not listed on the team’s injury report on Wednesday.
He posted a brief statement on Instagram that read in part: "Thanks to everyone who has been reaching out since hearing the news about my positive test. We are all learning more about the seriousness of this situation and hopefully people can continue to educate themselves and realize that they need to behave responsibly both for their own health and for the well being of those around them."
The Oklahoman reported Mitchell visited a local high school before testing positive.
In the past nine days, the Jazz have played the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors. Those teams have been asked to self-quarantine, and in a statement sent Thursday, the Raptors said, "Out of an abundance of caution, members of the Raptors traveling party have been tested for the virus. We await those results.
