NBA shortens quarantine period
NBA players who test positive for COVID-19 now have a quicker path to return to play, after the league completed a significant update to its health and safety protocols on Monday.
The biggest change: Isolation periods for players who test positive may now be significantly shortened — down to six days from what has been the customary 10 — provided those players are asymptomatic and meet other testing standards. Teams were told of the new protocols Monday in a memo sent by the league.
That memo was sent on the same day the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cut isolation restrictions for Americans who catch the coronavirus from 10 to five days. CDC officials made that move saying that evidence shows people with the coronavirus are most infectious in the two days before and three days after symptoms develop.
The NBA also relied on data, telling teams the updated protocols “reflects analysis of testing data that the league and its infectious disease experts and epidemiologists have gathered throughout the pandemic.” The changes were made in agreement with the National Basketball Players Association.
The NBA has seen coronavirus numbers soar in recent days, even with 97% of players vaccinated and at least 65% of eligible players boosted against the virus.
The count of players in the NBA’s protocols remained around 120 on Monday afternoon, with no fewer than 63 players ruled out from among the seven games on the day’s schedule because of virus-related issues.
Among the new notable additions to the list: Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Suns center Deandre Ayton.
There was some good news for the Nets on Monday. Coach Steve Nash said there’s a “good chance” Kevin Durant could rejoin the team when they return to New York later in the week. Durant went into protocols Dec. 18.
Also, Hawks point guard Trae Young cleared protocols and returned for the team’s game against the Bulls.
Colleges: Defending national champ Baylor (11-0) topped the AP men’s basketball poll for the third straight week, receiving all 61 first-place votes, while South Carolina and Stanford remained 1-2 in the women’s rankings. The Gamecocks (12-0) received all 30 first-place votes less than a week after edging the defending national champion Cardinal (8-3) 65-61.
NFL: 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo sat out practice after fracturing and tearing a ligament in his right thumb during Thursday night’s loss to the Titans, ESPN reported. Garoppolo’s status for this week’s game against the Texans remains uncertain . ... Chiefs RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire is week to week after exiting Sunday’s victory over the Steelers with a bruised shoulder, ESPN reported.
NHL: A lawsuit filed against the Blackhawks by a former Michigan high school student who said he was sexually assaulted by ex-assistant coach Brad Aldrich has been dismissed. Earlier this month, the Blackhawks and former first-round pick Kyle Beach, who also said he was sexually assaulted by Aldrich, reached a confidential settlement in another lawsuit.