NBA: COVID-19 Testing to be Done Every Other Day

The NBA has made an announcement about coronavirus testing to be done for players, staff, and other members, every other day, before starting off with the Orlando trip. The National Basketball Association said that the coronavirus testing for everyone who is going to be a part of the team will begin from June 23 and the test will take place every other day before beginning with the Orlando Trip. Later this month, everyone who is going to be directly working with the players, and the players themselves will have to go through coronavirus tests & an antibody test. And, this test will be done every other day before leaving for Orlando.

A memo as released by the NBA said that players along with essential team staff including medical personnel, staff, coaches, trainers, and anyone directly working with these players will have to be examined with coronavirus testing as well as a test for antibodies on June 23. Two days after this initial test, every person would be administered with a similar test for COVID-19. These two tests would also be administered two days before leaving for Walt Disney World between July 7 and July 9. The memo has not so far talked anything about the type of testing the league will use. Also, there is no mention in the memo about any protocol if a player or staff gets tested positive for coronavirus and what is going to be the protocol for testing after the team reaches Orlando.

The owners said that the NBA has partnered with Quest Diagnostics for testing players and staff for coronavirus. The league also gave the assurance that these tests to be done on players and staff would not affect the necessary testing to be done on symptomatic patients or the front-line health care workers. It also talked about coronavirus tests & the antibody tests that the league will be administering on the household members & the essential staff on June 23. The league will also be providing free-public testing for coronavirus in all the 21 cities when the team is going to start the game. In addition, all the players who are not in the country, have been asked to return to their home markets by June 22, so that the tests could be conducted before leaving for Orlando. The season is resuming from July 30, and the teams will get three weeks to practice and prepare before the season 2020 begins.