Notre Dame President Tests Positive For Coronavirus

NOTRE DAME, IN — University of Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins is isolating after announcing Friday he tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a school spokesperson, the Chicago Tribune reported. The announcement came less than a week after Jenkins was criticized for not wearing at the White House Saturday for the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, a 1997 graduate of Notre Dame Law School and a former professor of law there.

According to university spokesman Paul Browne, Jenkins contracted the coronavirus “from a colleague he was in regular contact with at Notre Dame.”

Prior to his diagnosis, Jenkins apologized in a letter to students and faculty for not wearing a mask and "failing to lead" as he should have during Saturday's event. He also said he was tested for the coronavirus when he arrived at the White House.

"I was then directed to a room with others, all fully masked, until we were notified that we had all tested negative and were told that it was safe to remove our masks," Jenkins said in the letter. "We were then escorted to the Rose Garden, where I was seated with others who also had just been tested and received negative results.

I regret my error of judgment in not wearing a mask during the ceremony and by shaking hands with a number of people in the Rose Garden. I failed to lead by example, at a time when I’ve asked everyone else in the Notre Dame community to do so. I especially regret my mistake in light of the sacrifices made on a daily basis by many, particularly our students, in adjusting their lives to observe our health protocols.

After returning to campus, I consulted the Notre Dame Wellness Center and was advised to monitor carefully and report any COVID-19 symptoms. In an abundance of caution, I have decided also to quarantine in accordance with University protocols."

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Jenkins' announcement came just hours after news emerged President Donald Trump announced that he and first lady Melania Trump have also tested positive and will begin isolating.

The University of Notre Dame football program announced on Sept. 22 its decision to postpone the scheduled Sept. 26 game at Wake Forest after seven players tested positive for the coronavirus.