NHL announces just two positive COVID-19 tests since opening of Phase 3

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The National Hockey League provided its first COVID-19 testing update since the start of Phase 3 of the league's Return To Play plan last Monday, July 13.

Out of more than 800 players tested and among 2,618 COVID-19 tests administered this past week, just two players have tested positive for the coronavirus.

NHL statement on COVID-19 testing results: pic.twitter.com/C137laTvbH

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) July 20, 2020

The NHL announced last week that a total of 43 players had tested positive for COVID-19 during Phase 2 of the Return To Play plan, where players were allowed to return to their home facilities to participate in individualized, voluntary workouts in smaller groups. 30 of those players tested positive at their team's facility, while 13 others tested positive outside of team facilities.

Phase 3 of the league's Return To Play has all 24 teams participating in this summer's festivities back at their home cities for nearly a formal training camp to prepare for the official return of play on Saturday, Aug. 1 in their respective hub city. On Sunday, July 26, those 24 teams will travel to either Edmonton, Alberta (Western Conference teams) or Toronto, Ontario (Eastern Conference teams), where they will play in one exhibition game before the start of the Stanley Cup Qualifying Round and the seeding round-robin tournaments.

Stay tuned for the latest on this developing story...