Rhode Island Child Who Asked Rudy Gobert for an Autograph Tests Positive for the Coronavirus

Westerly Police announced today that a young child has tested positive for COVID-19 after receiving an autograph from an NBA player who has also since tested positive for the disease.

The unnamed child was reportedly at the TD Garden on March 6 when the Utah Jazz played the Boston Celtics and received an autograph from one of the Jazz players after that game.

Both Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell were reported as testing positive for the coronavirus this week.

Police were quick to point out that there is no proof that the child contracted the disease from the player they received an autograph from and actually refused to name which player it was.

Boston.com has since learned from the child's parents that it was in fact Gobert who gave the autograph.

Officials cannot say that is where the child contracted the virus and state officials actually say it is unlikely the Jazz players were contagious while in Boston.

Still shocking news for residents, especially since they were not the only child to be confirmed as having the coronavirus in Westerly.

At today's press conference, Westerly police said both a second-grader and a preschooler from the town were among the state's latest confirmed cases.

One child had received the autograph in Boston and the other had recently returned from a trip to the Bahamas.

Police would not say which child was on vacation and which had attended the basketball game, though they did say both children are being quarantined at home with family.

Gobert has issued a public apology for not taking the disease seriously and acting carelessly over the last week without knowing he was infected.

The NBA suspended the entire season shortly after news of Gobert testing positive emerged and the Celtics players are reportedly self-quarantining through the weekend.