On Oct. 28, a member of the Gym Masters team tested positive for COVID-19, according to Coach Schwarz. The same day the whole team was notified to go into quarantine for two weeks until Nov. 10. On Nov. 5, a second team member tested positive.
According to Southern’s website, quarantine is when a person separates from others because medical personnel have determined there is a possibility that the individual is infected, and isolation is when a person separates away from others because they have tested positive for COVID-19.
In the beginning of the school year, Schwarz agreed that if any member of the team tested positive for COVID-19, they would all go into quarantine.
“We don’t know how the person got it,” Schwarz said. “[They] had a relative with it and decided to be tested—it came back positive.”
According to Family Nurse Practitioner at the University Health Center (UHC) the UHC collaborates with Hamilton County to contact trace people who have COVID-19 or have been exposed to someone who has tested positive.
“Students agree to the Covenant of Care to notify the UHC of their positive result,” Harriss said. “If they do not, the Health Department will call us when they become aware of the case.”
The County Health Department also notifies the University Health Center if a student or staff member was exposed to someone off-campus.
“We try to notify people as soon as we become aware that they were exposed and most people are notified in less than 24 hours,” Harriss said.
According to Harriss, anyone who is sick or isolated for a positive test is discouraged from going home. But those who decide to go home to quarantine are encouraged to still abide by Southern’s quarantine restrictions and are encouraged to stay away from family if possible.
According to Schwarz, some team members decided to quarantine at home. Schwarz said the team reacted professionally, without complaining.
The plan for the sport from now on is making sure everyone on the team practices social distancing as they try to finish filming their Christmas special.
“We will have a tighter schedule during practice with only team members in the gym for their routine[s],” Schwarz said. “[We] will continue with the protocol that we have had all semester.”
Junior history major and team manager Aimee Hunt shared that the team has been extremely supportive of one another and are ready to get back to the gym to work toward their goals.
“Many of those who got to quarantine at home offered the use of their meal plans to those in dorm quarantine because many of them were running low or had no funds,” Hunt said.
The team has a weekly vlog that is accessible on YouTube, and Hunt had the team send videos of themselves doing gymnastics stunts.
“I had the team send me videos of them doing gymnastics at the dorm or at their home,” Hunt said. “It was great to see that gymnastics can be done anywhere, despite COVID.” The team vlog is accessible on YouTube at @saugymmasters, or on their blog.
