Another 15 of the school’s student-athletes have tested positive for COVID-19, according to the university.

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The University of Maryland canceled its game against Michigan State slated for Saturday after more players and a head coach tested positive for COVID-19. That’s the second game in a row the team has had to pull out of, after it canceled its Nov. 14 match with Ohio State.

The school announced Thursday that in the last seven days, 15 more players and seven staff members — including head coach Mike Locksley — tested positive for the virus. Per Big Ten Conference protocols, Locksley and his players are isolating.

“I am gutted for our team and for our fans,” Locksley said in a statement. “This team is eager to play and compete and continue the growth we’ve seen this season. This virus is testing our players and coaches right now, but I have no doubt that we will emerge as a stronger unit for having gone through this together.”

Locksley said that he has minor symptoms and continues to lead the football program virtually as the team prepares for their next game against Indiana University.

As of Sunday, Indiana University reported 42.1 new cases, according to Big Ten Conference COVID19 data. Minnesota, Michigan State, and Nebraska have the highest seven-day average positivity rates in the conference.

Original:

The University of Maryland is suspending all football activities, including a home game scheduled for Saturday, after eight football players at the school tested positive for COVID-19 over the last week, the university announced on Wednesday.

The Nov. 14 game between the Maryland Terrapins and the Ohio State Buckeyes, both NCAA Division I teams, has been canceled and won’t be rescheduled. The pause on Maryland’s football program comes as the D.C. area sees a surge in coronavirus cases.

“There is nothing more important than the health and well-being of our student-athletes, coaches and staff,” Maryland athletic director Damon Evans said in a statement.

Evans and university president Darryll Pines decided to suspend football activities in consultation with school health officials and the Big Ten Conference, the college athletic conference to which the Maryland and Ohio teams belong.

Ten of the school’s student-athletes have tested positive for COVID-19 since Sept. 30, the university also said. Since the outbreak of the pandemic, 120 in total have tested positive.

Football players at Big Ten schools have been getting tested daily since that date, while basketball players have been getting tested daily since Oct. 26. All other Big Ten student-athletes have received weekly tests.

Responding to a statewide spike in cases, Maryland on Tuesday began implementing plans to expand hospital surge capacity and further restricted indoor dining. The state saw 1,714 new COVID-19 infections Wednesday, the highest number it has seen since May 19.