Here is the latest information we have to date regarding sports and COVID-19
NBA
League Lays Out Specific Plans, Health Protocols For Season Restart
Yesterday, the NBA sent teams a 100-plus page document that outlined almost every detail of what life will be like for players and staff at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida when the season restarts next month. The document explained social distancing guidelines as well as how the league plans to handle a player or staff member testing positive for COVID-19.
The document laid out a process for players or staff members to follow if they test positive for Coronavirus. First, they will be placed in “isolation housing” to avoid infecting others. The individual will then have to take another COVID-19 test as soon as possible in order to rule out the possibility of a false positive. A third Coronavirus test will be administered 24 hours after the first if the second test comes back negative. A person can only leave isolation once they record two negative Coronavirus test results in a 24 hour period.
MLB
Dr. Fauci Says MLB Season Shouldn’t Go Too Deep Into Fall
Yesterday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, voiced his concerns about the potential 2020 MLB season. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the doctor said baseball would be better served being played during the summer and not extending too far into late Fall.
“If the question is time, I would try to keep it in the core summer months and end it not with the way we play the World Series, until the end of October when it’s cold, I would avoid that.”
Dr. Fauci explaining that the MLB Season should not end too late
When to end the potential season has been a big talking point between the MLB and the Players’ Union. Dr. Fauci said that if baseball is to be played, it should be done mostly during the summer. The MLB season remains in jeopardy as the Commissioner’s office is currently refusing to set a schedule for the season in response to the players’ union’s decision to end negotiations with the league.
NHL
Players Reportedly Won’t Have To Wear Face Shields When Play Resumes
It seems the NHL is confident in its plans to contain COVID-19 when the season picks back up. According to ESPN, the National Hockey League will not expect players to wear face shields during gameplay when the season starts up again. ESPN is saying that this does not necessarily mean players will not wear some type of face-covering during competition.
A person who spoke anonymously to the Associated Press said that emphasis has been placed on player testing and other safety precautions outside of the arena. ESPN is saying that daily testing of players means additional on-ice safety equipment is not expected to be required for practices or games.
NFL
Ohio Governor Says Hall OF Fame Game Likely Won’t Have Fans
The first game of the NFL preseason will likely not have fans. Yesterday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine said that if the 2020 NFL Hall of Fame Game is played, it will likely be without fans in attendance. The game, which is scheduled for August 6th, will be a matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“As much as I hate to say this, because we’ve all been looking forward to that and I know how much it means to the Canton area and the Stark County area and, really, across the country, it’s a great, great event that we’ve been looking forward to, [but] having a crowd that size is highly unlikely. Certainly, it could not occur today. It would be very dangerous to do it today.”
Mike DeWine explains that fans likely won’t attend the Hall of Fame Game in an interview with WKYC-TV
Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium reportedly has a capacity of 23,000. According to ProFootballTalk, July 1st appears to be the deadline for the final decision on whether or not the game will be played.
Continue checking oddsusa.com for more updates on the Coronavirus Pandemic.
