Rutgers football team in quarantine following on-campus party, positive tests

July 30 (UPI) -- An on-campus party at Rutgers University that multiple football players attended may have led to the coronavirus outbreak that forced the entire program to quarantine for two weeks.

At least 15 Rutgers football players have tested positive for the virus to this point, according to New Jersey State Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli. NJ.com and CNN reported that the recent positive test results were linked to a social gathering on the Rutgers campus.

"We have had several circumstances where indoor and outdoor gatherings in our state have led to community clusters of COVID-19," Persichilli said during a press conference Wednesday. "... There's been an outbreak among Rutgers football players with 15 of them currently testing positive."

Rutgers on Saturday announced the football team would be quarantined for a two-week period after six positives in its latest round of testing, bringing the school's total to 10 positive tests since players started returning to campus June 15.

Rutgers became the second Big Ten football program to enter a two-week quarantine. The Scarlet Knights joined the Michigan State Spartans, who began a quarantine last week after another round of positive test results.