Report: Eight Vikings players return to practice after COVID-19 testing errors

The eight Vikings players who were out of practice Sunday due to presumptive postive COVID-19 tests were reportedly back Monday.

Vikings coach Mike Zimmer told ESPN and other outlets that eight players, a coach and three staff members had presumptive positive tests from the New Jersey lab and would not practice Sunday.

However, BioReference Laboratories, which is handling the NFL’s coronavirus testing program, said that the elevated number of cases were likely due to false positive results, caused by a contamination during test preparation in the New Jersey lab.

On Monday, the eight players who tested positive for the Vikings were back at practice, according to Ben Goessling of the Star Tribune.

“I do believe the problem has been corrected,” Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, said, via the Star Tribune.

Co-defensive coordinator Andre Patterson told the Star Tribune and other outlets that the team has been following protocol and that there was no anxiety.

“There was nobody worried or walking around, trying to see who was here, who wasn’t here,” Patterson said, via the Star Tribune. “The guys did an outstanding job, and I think the coaching staff handled it good, too. That was probably a good experience for all of us.”