The New England Patriots were spared from contracting the COVID-19 virus after all tests came back negative for the second-straight day. The development came after their starting playmaker in Cam Newton was reported to have been tested positive for the virus.

ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter disclosed the updates via Twitter:

NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport also tweeted the latest developments regarding the situation:

Although the current plan is for the Patriots and the Kansas City Chiefs to take the field on Monday, the official schedule is still up in the air with both teams waiting for a final decision by the league. The reigning Super Bowl champions' practice squad quarterback in Jordan Ta'amu was also tested positive for the coronavirus a day before their supposed encounter against the Patriots.

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The New England-based squad has already confirmed that Newton will be ruled out of the matchup regardless of the game's postponement and veteran playmaker Brian Hoyer will slot in the starting position in lieu of his absence. He has been Newton’s backup in each of the Patriots’ previous three games.

According to NFL guidelines posted by AP News, players who test positive and are showing symptoms, a minimum of 10 days must pass between the first occurrence of the symptoms, and 72 hours since the symptoms last occurred. In that scenario, a player would likely miss a minimum of two games.

However, in the event that a player tests positive and is asymptomatic, he can return to the field 10 days after the initial positive test or just five days if he obtained two consecutive negative tests.

Having no additional positive cases indeed serve as an encouraging sign for both teams moving forward. Hopefully, the league can continue to work on mitigating the risks of the virus in order for the teams to push through with the rest of the season's proceedings.