The NBA has put together a detailed set of rules and regulations and health protocols for the bubble at Walt Disney World in an effort to prevent an outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) during the league’s return to play.
Consistent testing for the virus began on June 23, with 16 players receiving a positive test in the first round of results. For players, the start of testing is likely the highest rate of positives there will be.
However, a second wave a positives may come for player guests, who will be allowed to enter the bubble following the first round of the playoffs. While matters could change, it appears each player will have one hotel room to bring a maximum of three guests, with some exceptions.
In addition to this, all guests will have to undergo two phases of quarantine — both outside of the bubble and within it — before they can roam freely, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times:
After the first round of the NBA playoffs at Walt Disney World, player guests will have to do a three-day quarantine in the Orlando area away from the NBA campus and then a four-day quarantine on campus before having the abilities to move within the grounds, league sources say
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 26, 2020
The two separate periods to quarantine are to ensure that no guests bring the virus inside Disney World campus, keeping the players’ exposure to the virus at a minimum. It’s assumed that testing of these guests will begin either upon their arrival in Orlando or upon entry into the bubble.
As previously outlined, guests will only be allowed after the first round, meaning only eight teams will actually be allowed to bring guests to Orlando. Hopefully this will limit overcrowding at Disney World while still giving players a chance to see their families.
The second round of the playoffs is currently scheduled to begin on Sept. 1, meaning teams and players that make it that far will have been away from their families for nearly two months. It already is a long time, and is exaggerated given all that’s happening in the world today.
The NBA has done a great job ensuring that their plan is as safe as it possibly can be. Nevertheless, no plan is perfect, and commissioner Adam Silver has acknowledged as much. However, the NBA has seemingly taken every measure possible to create the safest environment it can.
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