SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 17: San Francisco 49ers’ Kendrick Bourne (84) celebrates his touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in the fourth quarter at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Sunday, Nov. 17, 2019. (Nhat V. Meyer/Bay Area News Group)
SANTA CLARA — A positive COVID-19 test result from wide receiver Kendrick Bourne prompted the 49ers to close their facility today for the first time this season.
The 49ers (4-4) are still scheduled to host the Green Bay Packers (5-2) at Levi’s Stadium on Thursday at 5:20 p.m., a NFL spokesman confirmed.
“Our organization has entered the NFL’s intensive protocol and we are working with the league on contract tracing to identify high-risk individuals,” a team statement read, in part. “All team functions will be conducted virtually today.”
Bourne is not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms and “doesn’t feel sick” as he isolates at home, according to his agent, Henry Organ. Players are tested daily, and it’s believed Bourne’s sample originated from Tuesday; he did not go to the team facility today.
Bourne, Organ added, does not know of anyone currently infected with COVID-19 who could have passed it to him.
Contact tracing will identify if other 49ers must be isolated along with Bourne, an NFL protocol that the Packers also faced this week. Green Bay running back A.J. Dillon tested positive on Sunday, and because of their close contact, running back Jamaal Williams and linebacker Kamal Martin are also out against the 49ers.
“The health and safety of our players, staff and community are the organization’s highest priority,” the 49ers’ statement added. “We will continue to work closely with the NFL and medical professionals and will follow their direction.”
Bourne likely would have started against the Packers in place of the injured Deebo Samuel.
Bourne’s entry into the NFL’s coronavirus quarantine protocol would further deplete a 49ers offense that lost quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and tight end George Kittle to potential season-ending injuries Sunday. Samuel will miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury, and the 49ers’ depth is further in question with Richie James hampered by an ankle injury.
Dante Pettis was waived Tuesday after 2 1/2 seasons with the team; he injured his shoulder in Sunday’s loss and wouldn’t have been able to practice Monday. Veterans Kevin White and River Cracraft are candidates likely to be elevated from the practice squad.
The 49ers’ roster is so decimated that when they face the Packers, they’ll have no players available who touched the ball in last season’s NFC Championship Game victory over Green Bay. That list includes Garoppolo, Kittle, Samuel, Bourne and running back Raheem Mostert, who ran for a franchise-record 220 yards and four touchdowns in that game but is on injured reserve with an ankle sprain at least another week.
The 49ers had not had a player go on the NFL’s COVID-19 reserve list since Fred Warner on Aug. 31, and he came off four days prior to the season opener. Richie James and Jeff Wilson also were on that list upon reporting to camp but were cleared Aug. 4.
The Packers are scheduled to fly to the Bay Area this afternoon.
There have been no indications the NFL will reschedule the game, or what influence Santa Clara County health officials will have on that decision. On Tuesday night, the 49ers held a rare practice on their Levi’s Stadium field, the first time they’d done that since workouts leading up to the Sept. 13 opener.
They typically hold a walk-through, half-speed practice on the day before games, and that will not happen today.
Levi’s Stadium served as a voting center on Tuesday. Fans have not been allowed to attend games there this season, and Santa Clara County continued to enforce that ban after state officials cleared the way last month for limited attendance. Wednesday’s shutdown was first reported by NBC Sports Bay Area’s Jennifer Lee Chan.
Check back for more on this developing story.
