The NBA’s coronavirus guidelines have been reportedly revealed, including the NBA’s proposed plan for reopening its team facilities. As reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic, teams will begin being permitted to reopen their facilities beginning May 8th with a maximum of one staff member in the facility in person as well as only four players at a time. The reopenings would be pending the expirations of any stay-at-home orders that may exist at a given location, and anyone entering a team facility would be required to wear a mask and complete a prerequisite screening.
The NBA has informed its franchises that it is targeting no earlier than May 8 for any use of team's practice facility, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The NBA will continue to monitor coronavirus pandemic with its timings.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 27, 2020
Sources: If an NBA team facility’s city is no longer subject to stay-at-home order, it may make facility open potentially starting May 8:
– Individual workouts; no more than four players permitted at facility at one time
– Max of one team staffer in person— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 27, 2020
NBA has informed its teams of this reality in a memo, per sources: “It is not possible or appropriate in the current public health context to regularly test all players and staff for COVID-19.” These protocols may be modified.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 27, 2020
One team at the forefront of the league’s reopening process is the Atlanta Hawks. With Georgia having relaxed its stay-at-home orders last week, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Hawks will monitor the situation in the state over the next two weeks before potentially returning to their facilities. All team activities have been halted in the midst of the league suspension in March.
Hawks President of Basketball Operations/GM Travis Schlenk tells ESPN that Hawks won’t be opening team facility to players Friday. “We are going to wait and see what happens in the state over the couple of weeks,” Schlenk tells ESPN. Georgia relaxed stay-at-home policies.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 27, 2020
