NBA players, staff to have COVID-19 tests every other day

[June 15, 2020]  NBA teams will be tested every other day for the coronavirus beginning June 23 as the league prepares to resume the season, according to multiple reports.

The league reportedly sent a memo to teams on Saturday, informing them that players and essential team personnel who will be involved in the restarted season will take both a COVID-19 test and an antibody test that day.

The NBA plans to resume play on July 30 with 22 teams that have a chance of making the playoffs at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Fla. The season was halted on March 11 because of the coronavirus.

After June 23, the players and staff will have the coronavirus test every other day until two days before they leave for Florida. Training camp will start there July 9.

The memo does not address what the testing protocol will be at Disney.

An NBA logo is seen on the facade of its flagship store at the Wangfujing shopping street in Beijing, China October 8, 2019. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang

The NBA has been assured that their testing will not deprive health-care workers, first responders and symptomatic patients in each league city of adequate testing supplies, ESPN reported. The league also will provide free testing for the public in each of the 21 cities that have teams participating in the resumed season, the report said.

--Field Level Media

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