Coronavirus strikes XFL game concessions vendor in Seattle
'Health and safety of extended XFL family is of the utmost importance,' XFL says
A CenturyLink Field concessions vendor in Seattle who worked during a recent XFL game has tested positive for COVID-19, one of the latest confirmed cases in the U.S.
The chance that the employee passed the coronavirus to any of the 22,000 people who attended the Seattle Dragons’ XFL game on Feb. 22 is “low," health officials said.
The public health department worked with the employee, who has yet to be identified, and the operator of the stadium, First and Goal, to evaluate potential exposures, James Apa, a spokesman for Seattle/King County Public Health, told The Seattle Times on Thursday.
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"We are following up with a few co-workers with close contacts of the employee," he added, "to provide guidance on appropriate precautions."
CenturyLink Field (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)
CenturyLink Field, a multi-purpose stadium, is the home field for the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, Major League Soccer's Seattle Sounders and XFL's Seattle Dragons.
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According to CenturyLink Field officials, the employee did not show any symptoms at the time and has not stepped inside the facility since.
To ensure the environment remains safe for guests and staff, the stadium has implemented "heightened sanitation procedures and processes," including disinfecting all areas of the stadium before and after every event and adding hand sanitizer stations as well as educating staff.
“The health and safety of the extended XFL family – especially our fans in Seattle – is of the utmost importance,” XFL President Jeffrey Pollack told FOX Business in an emailed statement Friday. ”We share everyone’s concern about this public health issue and understand it is evolving on a daily basis.”
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As of Thursday, there were 70 confirmed cases of the disease across the state of Washington and 10 deaths, according to the state Department of Health.
The Seattle Sounders, who have a match scheduled for Saturday, said in a statement that the game at CenturyLink Field will go ahead as planned.
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"Nothing is more important than public safety and the wellbeing of our fans," the Seattle Sounders said in the statement. "We are in continuous dialogue with regional health authorities and Major League Soccer, in addition to our network of medical experts. Because of this, we are proceeding with Saturday's match."