The Latest: New Jersey bars NFL fans until further notice
The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on sports around the world:
___
The New York Jets and Giants announced they will not have fans at home games this season “until further notice” because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The teams, who play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and have separate training facilities in the state, released a joint statement Monday after Gov. Phil Murphy announced an executive order limiting outdoor public gatherings to 500 people.
The Jets and Giants say the decision to not have fans - at least for now - was reached after discussions with Murphy, with the health and safety of fans, players and staff being considered.
The teams also announced that “out of an abundance of caution,” fans will not be able to attend training camp practices this summer.
In the statement, the NFL clubs said they will continue to work with Murphy’s office as the situation is reviewed and evaluated, but “until circumstances change, both the Jets and Giants will play our games without the benefit of fans in attendance.”
Rutgers University, in Piscataway, announced that all of its athletic venues will operate with 500 or fewer in attendance and safety precautions will be in place for those fans who come to sporting events there.
___
The NHL says only two players tested positive for COVID-19 during the first five days of training camp last week.
The league, in consultation with its players, is not revealing the identity of players who test positive, or their teams. The two players who tested positive are self-isolating per national and local health protocols.
A total of 2,618 tests of more than 800 players from July 13-17 were done by the league. Training camps opened July 13, with 24 teams preparing to compete in an expanded playoff format in Toronto and Edmonton, Alberta, starting on Aug. 1.
Teams are scheduled to travel to both hub cities on Sunday.
The NHL reported it had 33 players test positive during the period after the league paused its season in March to the start of camps.
___
The Pac-12 has postponed its football media days.
The league said Monday the move is the result of the Pac-12's decision to schedule league-only games this season and to delay mandatory athletic activities.
The event, originally set for July 29-31 in Los Angeles, will be held at a later date to be decided.
___
The University of Louisville says it suspended men’s and women’s voluntary swimming activities for two weeks on Saturday after three members of the program tested positive for COVID-19.
A university news release issued Monday did not specify whether those impacted are student-athletes or staffers. It says all three have been quarantined, with procedures and protocols being followed.
Fifteen athletes returned to campus late last month under a phased training approach.
___
One University of Oklahoma women’s basketball player has tested positive for COVID-19, and a second player has been deemed a close contact.
Oklahoma made the announcement in a news release on Monday. Both players are in quarantine off campus.
The result comes from 100 tests performed Friday on Oklahoma athletes and staff members. The women’s basketball player was the only person with a positive test in a group that included 14 men’s basketball players and 15 women’s basketball players.
Oklahoma re-opens its facilities to members of the men’s and women’s basketball teams on Monday.
___
The International Skating Union has canceled the Junior Figure Skating Grand Prix for the upcoming season.
Citing increased travel and entry restrictions, the international governing body for the sport said Monday it could not sanction the series. The ISU also said the potential extensive sanitary and medical care measures, including possible quarantine, “would put an unsustainable burden on the organizers.”
The ISU has not made a decision yet on the senior series that features the top skaters, including current world champion Nathan Chen and two-time Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu.
Potential international junior events could be held if “the pandemic developments and situation change and allow for the safe organization” of them. The ISU said it would provide financial assistance for such events, with preference given to venues that were a part of the canceled series.
The ISU Council will meet online on Aug. 3 to further evaluate events for the 2020-21 season.
___
More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports