NBA PLAYERS who are not vaccinated against COVID-19 will have to comply with a long list of restrictions to take part in the upcoming season, according to a memo obtained by Reuters.
The National Basketball Association’s tentative protocols released to teams on Tuesday showed vaccinated players will only be tested if they show coronavirus symptoms or are a close contact of a positive case.
However, unvaccinated players will have to undergo daily testing prior to entering a team facility, participating in team activities, or interacting with players and coaches.
The protocols outlined in the memo are pending agreement between the league and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).
The NBPA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The 2021-2022 season is set to begin on Oct. 19 amid continuing concerns over the highly contagious delta variant of the novel coronavirus that has hit those who are unvaccinated particularly hard.
A handful of high-profile players, including Brooklyn Nets’ Kyrie Irving and Washington Wizards Bradley Beal, have publicly refused to receive the shots, while some have repeated claims about the vaccine shown to be false by medical professionals.
“It’s untrue,” the nation’s top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci told the Hugh Hewitt syndicated radio show on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) referring to claims that the COVID-19 vaccine is dangerous or could hurt those who receive it.
“Although I do respect people’s individual rights. . . when you’re dealing with a deadly pandemic, you’ve got to also understand your responsibility to the society within which you live.” — Reuters
