2 Cubs employees test positive for COVID-19

Two Cubs employees tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a training session at Wrigley Field earlier this month.

One was hospitalized and the other was recovering at home, spokesman Julian Green said Sunday.

In an email sent to associates Friday, the Cubs informed their staff that two people who participated in a March 8 training in the team’s premier clubs tested positive for the contagious virus. The tests were received last Monday and Tuesday — 15 and 16 days after the workshop.

Green also said there was “nothing definitive” indicating the session “contributed to exposure” since the test results weren’t received until March 23 and 24. But “out of an abundance of caution, transparency and responsibility,” the Cubs informed staff in the email.

“We know many of these associates know each other, spend time together and speak frequently, so we want everyone to take the necessary precautions and follow CDC guidance even though we’re not together and playing baseball,” Green said.

The incubation period for the virus is currently thought to be 14 days, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The team has reached out and offered support to both employees, the email said.

The Cubs closed their Chicago facilities after Major League Baseball postponed Opening Day to limit the spread of the coronavirus. As of now, the league and the MLB Players Association are hoping to start the season in early June, though everything remains fluid.

Most people who contract COVID-19 have mild or moderate symptoms, which can include fever and cough but also milder cases of pneumonia, sometimes requiring hospitalization. The risk of death is greater for older adults and people with other health problems.

Contributing: Sun-Times wires