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Browns facility reopens after player, staff member test positive for COVID-19

Browns training facilities Berea
Posted at 11:30 AM, Dec 30, 2020
and last updated 2020-12-30 17:03:17-05

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Browns were informed Wednesday morning that a player and a staff member had tested positive for COVID-19, according to the team.

Head coach Kevin Stefanski confirmed the staff member who tested positive for COVID-19 today is a coach, but would not get into further details.

Stefanski said the player who tested positive is on the practice squad.

The Browns facility was closed while contact tracing was conducted.

The team placed practice squad center Javon Patterson on the COVID-19/Reserve list.

They activated wide receiver Ryan Switzer from the list.

Safety Ronnie Harrison Jr. was also activated from the injured reserve list.

The Browns said that the team will continue to work remotely and follow the league's protocols.

On Tuesday, the Browns placed safeties Andrew Sendejo and Karl Joseph and tight end Harrison Bryant on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The three joined six other players who are still on the list—B.J. Goodson, Jacob Phillips, Jarvis Landry, Rashard Higgins, Donovan Peoples-Jones and KhaDarel Hodge.

Stefanski said that Phillips, Landry, Higgins, Peoples-Jones and Hodge remain on track to be removed from the list on Thursday.

NFL Chief Medical Officer Dr. Allen Sills told ESPN there is no indication that an outbreak within the Browns organization is underway.

"To date, we don't see any connection among the recent positive cases with the Browns, so there's no evidence of transmission within the facility," Sills said to ESPN. "But obviously we're going to continue to work through that and continue to monitor the test results on a day to day basis."

The Browns are set to take on the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday with the playoffs on the line.

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