Photo Credit: Harley Taylor
Virginia Tech's athletic department hasn't revealed any COVID testing data yet this summer though Whit Babcock recently said that was a university-wid decision with the hopes of a data portal coming soon that could include some data on athletics.
Yesterday, Virginia Tech released a letter from President Tim Sands and while it didn't have specifics on the athletic program, it did have some very encouraging news about Tech's strong starting point as students begin to return to campus.
3,663 tests from Virginia Tech with only 5 positives, only 1 of which is a new positive.
— The Tech Lunch Pail (@techlunchpaild) August 18, 2020
Great start by stay smart #Hokies https://t.co/IM9o1yrk6T
The fact that Virginia Tech has only found 1 new active positive (and only 5 total overall) out of over 3,600 tests is a tremendous accomplishment and a testament to students and university leadership.
This comes as multiple schools have recently either temporarily or permanently shifted their fall semesters online including fellow ACC schools North Carolina and Notre Dame.
Of course, there are definitely challenges ahead as more students arrive back on campus and will need to be tested. Additionally, students will have to be steadfast in making responsible decisions and taking necessary precauations in the interim period between their arrival test and the return of their result.
However, this is definitely a good start for many obvious reasons including the health of the region. This is also a strong start for athletics and acdemics in creating a safe environment in Blacksburg for both of those things to be done successfully and safely.
Hokie students must continue to be responsible to keep things this way but this is absolutely a great start to Tech's return of students that has been the biggest concern both for universities as a whole and especially for athletics.
