The NBA and NBPA are in talks about shortening the quarantine period for players who test positive for COVID-19, according to The Athletic‘s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Charania adds that sides are discussing allowing players to return as soon as six days after testing positive based on the “testing cycle threshold.” Wojnarowski says the league and players’ association have been consulting with their own infectious disease specialists and studying research models in the UK and elsewhere.
In an interview with ESPN on Tuesday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the league had been “actively looking” at changing some protocols and was in constant contact with other leagues about whether there were ways to allow asymptomatic players to take the floor or at least escape the protocols more quickly than the previous rules allowed.
The NFL’s recently changed its protocols so that if a player is double vaccinated and asymptomatic, then that player doesn’t need to be tested and can play.
In the NHL, players are currently subject to frequent testing — daily, in recent days, with the increase in positive results likely caused by the omicron variant — whether they exhibit symptoms or not.
In the interview with ESPN, Silver also said there were “no plans” to pause the season, even as numerous players continue to enter the league’s health and safety protocols related to COVID-19. He added the league has examined multiple options but does not yet see a reason to stop play.
“Frankly, we’re having trouble coming up with what the logic would be behind pausing right now,” Silver said. “As we look through these cases literally ripping through the country right now, putting aside the rest of the world, I think we’re finding ourselves where we sort of knew we were going to get to for the past several months — and that is that this virus will not be eradicated and we’re going to have to learn to live with it. That’s what we’re experiencing in the league right now.”
The NBA has postponed nine games so far this season, including Wednesday’s Toronto Raptors-Chicago Bulls contest due to the Raptors’ outbreak.
The Brooklyn Nets-Portland Trail Blazers game scheduled for Thursday was also postponed due to the Nets’ outbreak. The Nets are expected to be back in action for a marquee Christmas Day matchup against the Los Angeles Lakers with James Harden removed from protocols. Kevin Durant will be absent.
— With files from the Associated Press
Reports: NBA, NBPA discussing shorter quarantines for players who test positive
Source: Pinas Ko Mahal
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