The number of coronavirus cases at NBA and the league’s players has continued to rise on Thursday, including a record for a single day in Florida.
In the NBA, nine other players tested positive between June 24 and June 29; this brings the total to 25 since the start of testing on June 23. Among the staff of the clubs that will play Disney, 10 people have been declared positive.
“In tests conducted of 344 NBA players between June 24-29, an additional nine players have tested positive for the coronavirus,” the NBA and National Basketball Players Association said in a joint statement.
The teams will arrive next week, with a view to restart the season. Florida health services reported 10,109 new positive cases on Thursday, a one-day record for the state.
The NBA hopes very restrictive rules will ensure the safety of players and staff at the campus near Orlando.
In percentage terms, the NBA numbers are far below the rate of positive tests in many hot spots, including the Florida average. With 351 players tested until June 29, the league has a positive test rate of 7.1%. Among the 884 team staff, there were 10 positive results – a rate of 1.1%.
Under NBA policy, any player, coach or staff member who tests positive will remain in solitary confinement until he / she meets public health protocols to stop it. It will also require the authorization of a doctor.
At Disney, the preparations are continuing and trainings will arrive on Tuesday. Training grounds have been set up in hotel ballrooms. The arenas for matches are being upgraded, and some staff are about to begin their quarantines.
According to the league’s coronavirus rules, players or team personnel receiving positive tests will remain in self-isolation “until they satisfy public health protocols for discontinuing isolation and have been cleared by a physician.”
