CLEVELAND — Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter has tested positive for COVID-19 Thursday.
“After experiencing mild cold-like symptoms this morning, I chose to test at our facility and unfortunately, I am positive for COVID-19. I encourage all NFL players to take every precaution available to them to protect themselves, their families and their teammates from this virus,” Tretter wrote on Twitter.
Tretter is the president of the NFL Players Association.
When asked if he feels as safe being around team members with targeted testing compared to weekly testing he said:
“I have been boostered. I am vaccinated. I will be wearing a mask around the facility. I will be choosing to meet virtually. This week, we will continue meeting virtually anyways, but I will be taking my meetings virtually. That is just something that I would like to do to feel more comfortable. I know there are a lot of guys around the league who will make the choice, as well. That was really our goal was providing guys choices on how to get through the rest of the season. I have said it before, our membership is a microcosm of the country. We have people who are ready to move forward who have done everything that has been asked of them, they have gotten vaccinated and made those decisions, and now, they want to start feeling like, ‘You know what? I am not at risk of serious illness because of my vaccine status. I have done what they have said, and now, I am ready to go back to somewhat normalcy.’ Then we still have guys who do not want to get COVID and still want to live a more cautious lifestyle. Now, everybody has those choices.”
The NFL announced updated COVID-19 protocols last week.
Fully vaccinated individuals who report symptoms will be immediately tested with the Mesa rapid test and isolated away from others while the results of the test are gathered. If the results are negative, the individual can then enter the facility, but must be tested daily and wear a mask for three days or until symptoms stop—whichever comes first.
Unvaccinated individuals who report symptoms will be required to isolate immediately and receive PCR testing. The individual will not be permitted in the club facilities until receiving two negative PCR tests taken 24 hours apart.
As for the daily testing of all players and staff under enhanced protocols, with the updated rules, players and staff will be subjected to targeted testing.
Fully vaccinated individuals will be required to undergo targeted spot testing that will be directed by the NFL's chief medical officer, which will include sample selection based on position and staff grouping. Teams will be informed which individuals will be required to test each week and if positive tests are received during the targeted testing, a club may then be subject to additional testing, as well as mitigation efforts to slow or stop the spread of COVID-19.
Individuals who are determined to be "High Risk Vaccinated Contacts" after contact tracing stemming from a positive test will be told by the NFL's CMO how many days they will need to test to monitor for the virus.
The NFL and NFLPA are also implementing voluntary testing for players at club facilities and will provide at-home tests for them and the people who live with them. Positive at-home test results from a player or those close to them are required to be reported to their team.
For unvaccinated players, daily PCR testing will continue to be required and those who miss a test will be subject to the five-day re-entry testing before being allowed to enter the team's facilities.
RELATED: NFL announces updated COVID-19 protocols, testing strategy
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Download the News 5 app for free to easily access local coronavirus coverage, and to receive timely and limited news alerts on major COVID-19 developments. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
Vaccinating Ohio - Find the latest news on the COVID-19 vaccines, Ohio's phased vaccination process, a map of vaccination clinics around the state, and links to sign up for a vaccination appointment through Ohio's online portal.
See data visualizations showing the impact of coronavirus in Ohio, including county-by-county maps, charts showing the spread of the disease, and more.
Rebound Northeast Ohio News 5's initiative to help people through the financial impact of the coronavirus by offering one place to go for information on everything available to help and how to access it. We're providing resources on:
Getting Back to Work - Learn about the latest job openings, how to file for benefits and succeed in the job market.
Making Ends Meet - Find help on topics from rent to food to new belt-tightening techniques.
Managing the Stress - Feeling isolated or frustrated? Learn ways to connect with people virtually, get counseling or manage your stress.
Doing What's Right - Keep track of the way people are spending your tax dollars and treating your community.
We're Open! Northeast Ohio is place created by News 5 to open us up to new ways of thinking, new ways of gathering and new ways of supporting each other.
View a map of COVID-19 testing locations here.
Visit Ohio's Coronavirus website for the latest updates from the Ohio Department of Health.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
