This archive report was first published on 17 June 2020.
NBA's COVID-19 Safety Protocols ¶
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has outlined its comprehensive plan for resuming play this summer, with a focus on health and safety protocols to minimize the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
According to the 113-page handbook, the NBA season, which was suspended in March, is set to restart on July 30 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida.
Players and team personnel will be subject to stringent testing and remain largely isolated from the rest of the world through the playoffs.
The handbook details the six phases of the NBA's restart, with the first phase underway: voluntary workouts as players make their way back to team training facilities.
Beginning July 7, teams are scheduled to begin arriving on the Disney campus 'on a staggered basis,' with players and team personnel required to quarantine until they test negative for the coronavirus twice, at least 24 hours apart.
Players, staff, and anyone else inside the so-called bubble will continue to be tested daily.
The NBA's elaborate ecosystem at Disney will feature six tiers of personnel, starting with Tier 1: players, coaches, health and performance staff, equipment managers, and referees.
Those in Tier 1 will have access to the most restricted areas on campus, including locker rooms, practice and game courts, weight rooms, and player lounges.
Failure to adhere to the protocols can result in a warning, fine, suspension, or dismissal from the campus.
Guests of players are also liable to be kicked out for violating the protocols.
The handbook lists various rules and guidelines, including the prohibition of sharing towels, clothing, or deodorant, and the requirement to wear face masks at all times on campus, except when engaging in activities that do not involve close contact with others.
The league will also make socially distant recreational activities available for players, including game rooms, golf, swimming, and other excursions.
Teams that survive the first round of the playoffs will have the option of reserving up to 17 additional hotel rooms for invited guests, who must fulfill a litany of 'participation requirements' and undergo rigid testing protocols.
