NBA Sends Memo To Teams On How To Deal With The Spread Of Coronavirus

On Sunday, the NBA sent a memo message to all 30 teams advising on ways how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

In the memo sent to the NBA teams, the league’s recommendations were similar to those that have been pushed by the federal government. These recommendations included: “wash your hands with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds” and “avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.” The NBA also suggested other ways to avoid the possibility of contracting the virus including advising players to steer away from receiving items to autograph and borrowing pens. They should also opt-out from doing high-fives with fans and do fist bumps instead.

The memo noted, “The coronavirus remains a situation with the potential to change rapidly. The NBA and the players association will continue to work with leading experts and team physicians to provide up-to-date information and recommended practices that should be followed to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The health and safety of NBA players, coaches, staff, and fans is paramount,” the memo said.

Some NBA players are already taking the memo to heart, including New York Knicks forward Bobby Portis and Portland Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum. McCollum has tweeted or retweeted many coronavirus posts, and Portis has decided to give fans fist bumps during the Knicks and Rockets game on Monday.

The coronavirus is a respiratory illness that started in China and has infected tens of thousands of people on multiple continents. It has stirred unrest in many countries, and its spread has correlated with a drop in the stock market. The worldwide death toll reached 3,000 on Monday, and the number of people infected increased to about 89,000 in 70 countries on every continent but Antarctica. In the U.S., the virus has been blamed for six deaths, all in Washington state and more than 100 cases nationwide.