As the NBA works toward resuming the 2019/20 season in Orlando, some of the safety protocols to reduce the risk of coronavirus spread have surfaced.
Per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press (Twitter links), all Disney personnel on-site will be required to wear masks and gloves while undergoing daily temperature screenings. Additionally, hotel workers will be assigned to designated areas and will not rotate through different properties as the NBA season and postseason continues. Reynolds noted that restaurant staff will be stationed at the same eateries without rotation as well.
Shams Charania of The Athletic adds (Twitter link) that staff will adhere to social distancing guidelines, meaning they won’t be allowed within six feet of an NBA participant.
As discussed on a Kyrie Irving-led conference call on Friday, a number of players have concerns about the NBA’s restart plan that go beyond health and safety. As we relayed earlier this week, there are concerns than an NBA restart would divert attention from systemic racism to just basketball. Players are also wary of being away from their families and the restrictive nature of the proposed Orlando “bubble.”
However, safety is also an important concern and represents one of the key areas to address before the restart plan can be fully finalized.
I mean let’s be real here. Should the fate of the league rest in the hands of a flat earther? Just a thought.