Trail Blazers first to close facility due to COVID-19 positives after group workouts open
The Portland Trail Blazers are closing their facility after three positive COVID-19 tests within the organization over the past four days. The team announced it Sunday, the day group workouts are first allowed for the 2020-21 season.
"Over the past four days, we have had three positive COVID test results within our organization. Out of an abundance of caution, having completed contact tracing, we are closing our practice facility today for deep cleaning while we run confirmatory tests” -Neil Olshey
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 6, 2020
“Over the past four days, we have had three positive COVID-19 test results within our organization,” president of basketball operations Neil Olshey wrote in a statement. “Out of an abundance of caution, having completed contact tracing, we are closing our practice facility today for deep cleaning while we run confirmatory tests.”
Theirs is the first facility to close since any workouts began there on Dec. 1. The Trail Blazers were to open their training camp on Sunday and are scheduled to open their preseason schedule against the Sacramento Kings on Friday.
The New York Knicks closed their facility last month when three employees tested positive and the Golden State Warriors delayed the start of training camp because two players tested positive. The franchise pushed back individual workouts one day and will open team practices on Monday.
NBA: Nearly 9 percent of players test positive
The NBA and NBPA announced on Wednesday that 8.8 percent of players tested positive for the coronavirus on the round of testing between Nov. 24-30.
It’s nearly double the number of positives the league had in June ahead of the bubble season at Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Cases are rising across the United States and experts have warned the worst is yet to come. There has been an average of 191,524 new cases per day over the past week, an increase of 12 percent over the week prior, according to the New York Times.
The league is set to begin its 72-game schedule on Dec. 22.
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