Covid-19 plays spoilsport
■ Real in quarantine as Spanish league suspends fixtures ■ NBA suspends season after Jazz player tests positive for virus ■ McLaren withdraw from Australian GP
Los Angeles, March 12: The NBA suspended the season on Wednesday after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for the new coronavirus, prompting a game to be abandoned just before tip-off.
The test result was reported as Utah’s game against the Thunder in Oklahoma City was about to begin. The game was abruptly postponed and the players were effectively quarantined in the locker room area.
The league said the affected player, believed to be French defensive standout Rudy Gobert, was not at the arena and was being treated by health officials in Oklahoma City.
“The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of tonight’s schedule of games until further notice,” the league said. “The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic.”
The Jazz issued a statement saying the player had flu-like symptoms but initially tested negative for influenza and a respiratory infection.
The decision was made to test again for COVID19, for which he tested positive.
SPAIN SUSPENDS TOP TWO DIVISIONS
Real Madrid went into quarantine on Thursday as La Liga announced Spain’s top two divisions will be suspended for at least two weeks over the coronavirus.
La Liga authorities made the decision after Real Madrid confirmed its senior football team is in quarantine after one of the club’s basketball players tested positive for the virus.
Real Madrid’s football and basketball players share facilities at Ciudad Real Madrid, the club’s training ground in Valdebebas.
La Liga has also followed Italy’s Serie A in suspending its matches, after a meeting on Thursday with the Spanish Football Federation and the Spanish Players Union.
It had been decided on Tuesday that games in Spain’s top two divisions would be held behind closed doors but those fixtures over the next 14 days will now be suspended.
Real’s second leg away to Manchester City in the Champions League last 16, scheduled for next Tuesday, is also in serious doubt.
Barcelona have already confirmed their tie against Napoli at Camp Nou on Wednesday will be played without fans.
AUSTRALIAN GRAND PRIX IN CHAOS
McLaren pulled out of the season-opening Australian Grand Prix Thursday after a team member tested positive for coronavirus, throwing the race into chaos.
The employee was among eight Formula One personnel who went into isolation after showing flu-like symptoms typical of the virus this week in Melbourne.
The other seven — including four from the Haas team — all returned negative results, organisers said.
“The team member was tested and self-isolated as soon as they started to show symptoms and will now be treated by local healthcare authorities,” McLaren said in a statement.
McLaren’s decision to pull out casts doubt over whether the race will be run without a full complement of teams, and whether others will follow suit.
World champion Lewis Hamilton earlier Thursday said he was stunned the race was going ahead as fears mount about the spread of the disease.
“I am really very, very surprised that we’re here. I don’t think it’s great that we have races but it really is shocking that we’re all sitting in this room,” he said at an official pre-race press conference packed with media. MIAMI OPEN, ATP EVENTS CALLED OFF
The ATP and WTA Miami Open was called off on Thursday by Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, who declared a state of emergency over coronavirus and began halting mass gatherings.
The hardcourt tennis tournament, one of the world’s top events outside of the Grand Slams, was scheduled to begin with qualifying on March 23 and run through April 5.
And the ATP later announced a six-week halt to the season that also included another US tournament, the US Clay Court Championships that had been set for next month in Houston.
MLS SUSPENDED
FOR 30 DAYS
Major League Soccer announced a 30-day suspension of its season on Thursday as fears over the new coronavirus gripped sport across the United States. A day after the NBA announced a suspension of the league after a player tested positive for the virus, MLS said in a statement it was following suit.
MLS commissioner Don Garber said the suspension had been imposed after advice from health authorities. — Agencies