NBA confirms 48 players test positive for COVID-19 as pandemic rages

 

The NBA has confirmed that 48 players have tested positive for COVID-19 since testing resumed last week. A total of 546 players were tested between November 24 and 30 in the initial phase of testing and 8.8 percent of the tests returned positive.

NBA's health and safety protocols say that anyone with a positive test in this pre-camp phase "must receive medical clearance from a team-designated physician and a league-designated physician prior to entering a team facility, participating in in-person team-organized activities, or interacting in-person with other members of their team."

According to ESPN's statistics, while the league's positive test rate is lower than the national average of 10.2 per cent over the same time frame, it also is significantly higher than the 5.3 per cent rate during the same return-to-market period in late June before play at the bubble in Orlando, Florida.

The regular season is scheduled to start on December 22, but Dallas All-Star Luka Doncic has voiced concern that there will be tremendous challenges ahead.

"During this pandemic, all this stuff is going to be different this season," he told reporters in a press briefing on Tuesday. "Some players might get corona, get sick, not be able to be with the team for 10 days. So, I think that's going to be a big part – which team is not going to have positive people. It's going to be a lot of time together. I think that's going to be key."

However, Golden State coach Steve Kerr remained calm despite the current doom and gloom. 

"I'm confident that the league is going to do everything in their power to do things the right way and to protect us, protect the players and the staffs. Then, who the hell knows?" he observed.

"I mean, it's 2020. I think we just have to go into it with an open mind and do our best and see what happens," he added.