Donovan Mitchell Diagnosed with Coronavirus after Utah Jazz Teammate Rudy Gobert Tested Positive
Donovan Mitchell is the second NBA player to test positive for the Coronavirus after Rudy Gobert. He issued a statement confirming the news.
Shortly after his Utah Jazz teammate, Rudy Gobert tested positive for Coronavirus, Donovan Mitchell confirmed he too acquired the virus. Mitchell took to his Instagram on the afternoon of March 12 to inform the public about his condition and thank everyone for their concern.
"Thanks to everyone who has been reaching out since hearing the news about my positive test," he wrote.
Utah Jazz player Donovan Mitchell during a game against the Charlotte Hornets in November 2018. | Photo: Getty Images
Mitchell further stated that he’s currently learning more about “the seriousness of the situation” and hopes others would also continue to educate themselves about it.
Del City High School has taken precautions after learning Mitchell tested positive. The Jazz player visited the institution the day before he tested positive.
He stressed the importance of social responsibility not just for personal reasons but for the benefit of others too. Mitchell also thanked the Oklahoma authorities who helped him with his testing and his teammates for their support.
“I am going to keep following the advice of our medical staff and hope that we can all come together and be there for each other and our neighbors who need our help,” he said to end his statement.
Mitchell is the second member of the NBA to test positive. The first was Gobert who tested positive a day earlier. The confirmation came after he joked about the virus during a media event on March 9.
After speaking to the press, he touched each microphone and recorder in front of him, pretending to spread the virus. At the time, he had not tested positive yet. Later, Gobert issued an apology upon learning he was positive and that he may have endangered the lives of others by joking around.
The NBA has since suspended its current season indefinitely to avoid an outbreak. Players who may have been in contact with Mitchell and Gobert in the last 10 days have also been placed in quarantine.
The teams that played against Utah Jazz since March 2 include the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, and Toronto Raptors.
Meanwhile, Del City High School has taken precautions after learning Mitchell tested positive. The Jazz player visited the institution the day before he tested positive. The school’s coach, Lenny Hatchet even shared a photo of Mitchell with his son. According to KFOR, school officials decided to suspend classes on Friday to sanitize the school.