Several Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans players test positive for coronavirus amid surge of cases in the state

Running back Ezekiel Elliott is among those who contracted Covid-19

Several players from the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans have reportedly tested positive for coronavirus amid a surge of positive cases in Texas.

The NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport tweeted on Monday that several players from both teams had tested positive for Covid-19, including Cowboys running back, Ezekiel Elliott.

Mr Elliott’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, confirmed to Mr Rapoport that his client had tested positive for the virus, but was “feeling good”.

Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in December 2019 ((Getty Images))

The other players have not been revealed, due to privacy laws surrounding healthcare, according to Yahoo.

On Monday, Mr Rapoport tweeted: “Several #Cowboys players & several #Texans players have tested positive for COVID-19 recently, sources tell me & @TomPelissero. None of the players are believed to have been in their team facilities. The teams followed proper health protocols.”

He added: “#Cowboys star RB Ezekiel Elliott is one of the players who has tested positive for the Coronavirus, his agent Rocky Arceneaux confirmed to me. Arceneaux said Elliott is feeling good.”

Mr Elliott is the only player to have been confirmed to have tested positive for Covid-19, and the Dallas Cowboys told Mr Rapoport that they legally cannot confirm or deny who has tested positive for the virus.

“Due to federal and local privacy laws, we are unable to provide information regarding the personal health of any of our employees,” the team wrote in a statement.

“We are following all CDC, local and NFL guidelines to keep our facilities safe, including limiting employee access.”

The players did not contract the virus at team facilities, as they are not due to come back to training until July, according to the NFL.

Texas has recently seen a rise in Covid-19 cases, and recorded its record number of hospitalisations from coronavirus on Sunday, with 2,287 people admitted to hospital due to the virus.

The number topped the previous highest total, which was set the day before, following a week where the record was broken six times.

Despite the rise in coronavirus cases, Texas governor Greg Abbott told the Texas Tribune that there is “no real need to ratchet back the opening of businesses in the state”.

Mr Abbott added that he is not worried, because the state has enough hospital beds available to deal with a rise in Covid-19 cases.

Restaurants in the state are now able to open at 75 per cent capacity, and a majority of businesses at 50 per cent, as lockdown measures in Texas have been significantly eased.

Last week, after a rise in cases, Lina Hidalgo, the judge in Texas’ most populous county, Harris County, told CBS News: “I’m growing increasingly concerned that we may be approaching the precipice — the precipice of a disaster.”

She added: “We’ve had the highest hospitalisation number this Monday; it’s only grown from there. “The numbers we’re seeing are very significant.”