Breaking News: Whitley County High School football player tests positive for COVID-19

One day after the Kentucky High School Athletic Association recommended that fall sports proceed as planned, a Whitley County High School football player has tested positive for COVID-19.

“In an effort to keep our school family and community informed, we want to share that the Whitley County Health Department has advised us that we have a student-athlete from our high school football team who has tested positive for COVID-19. The health department is in the process of conducting contact tracing,” the school district wrote in a statement on its website Friday afternoon.

“If you are a parent/guardian of a high school football player and the health department feels that you need to be concerned about your child, they will contact you during contact tracing. Our custodial staff is disinfecting all areas used by our football team for practice.”

Little else is known about the situation.

The status of football operations in light of the positive COVID-19 case is presently unknown.

When contacted by text Friday afternoon, Whitley County Superintendent John Siler responded, “We are working with the health department to assist them in contact tracing efforts.”

The Whitley County Health Department reported only two new cases Friday afternoon, who are on completely opposite ends of the age spectrum. One case involved a person under the age of 18, and the other case involved someone age 81 or older, according to a graphic on the health department’s Facebook page.

The News Journal will provide further details should they become available.