Thread by @ccsdcovid

'“Because we have the most (COVID cases) we’ve had right now.”' ajc.com/sports/georgia…

'Smart’s impromptu report came after he was asked to update the condition of Ron Courson. Courson, the Bulldogs’ hall of fame trainer and executive associate athletic director for sports medicine, tested positive for COVID-19 Wednesday.'

'In addition to Courson, Smart said Georgia has “three or four guys with COVID,” meaning players, and that does not include “a couple of staff members.”'

'That trend is reflective of what has been happening on UGA’s 50,000-person campus. COVID numbers have been on a steady rise since students and faculty returned to the Athens campus in mid-August.'

#maskmandate 'This past week’s numbers weren’t available because of Labor Day, but the previous week UGA’s “Dawg Check” COVID-19 website reported 457 positive tests, nearly twice the number recorded the previous week (231).'

'As per the Georgia State Board of Regents and University System of Georgia policy, UGA is neither limiting seating capacity at 92,746-seat Sanford Stadium for Saturday’s home opener'

'nor requiring masks for spectators. Tailgating also has been reinstated after a season-long ban last year.'

'Some football venues, such as LSU’s Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge, La., are requiring proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test within 72 hours to enter on game days this fall. But the majority of stadiums in the South are not.'

'“I’ll be honest with you guys, I’m as concerned as I’ve ever been,” Smart said Monday after discussing Saturday’s matchup against UAB. “… For us, we’re at our highest spike. People are talking about vaccinations, well, these are people who have been vaccinated'

'So that concerns you not only for the players on your team that are unvaccinated that are playing and not playing — because we want everybody to be safe — but it concerns me for the players that are vaccinated. We could lose one. It’s at the highest we’ve been since fall camp'

'UGA last reported its vaccination rate for football players and full-time staffers at “over 90 percent.” But as has been documented by the latest spread of the delta variant of COVID-19, vaccinations do not totally prevent infections.'