Florida bubble faces its 1st tests

Houston’s Russell Westbrook hasn’t made it to the NBA restart yet.

The coronavirus did — but health protocols seemed to work as the league and its players hoped they would.

On a day of troubling news for the league — Westbrook revealing that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and two other players facing 10day quarantines for leaving the league campus perimeter at Walt Disney World — it was also announced that two players tested positive for the coronavirus after arriving in Central Florida last week. The NBA said both players, neither of whom made it out of quarantine or was identified, “have since left the campus to isolate at home or in isolation housing.”

“I tested positive for covid19 prior to my teams departure to Orlando,” Westbrook wrote on his socialmedia channels. “I’m currently feeling well, quarantined, and looking forward to rejoining my teammates when I am cleared.”

The league also said Monday that 19 players newly tested positive since July 1 during inmarket testing, meaning tests done before teams began arriving at Disney last Tuesday. Upon arrival at Disney, 322 players were tested with the two positives.

Inside the NBA bubble, however, optimism that the rules reached by the league and the players will work, though some Disney parks reopened over the weekend and the MLS restart at the Disney campus has seen two teams leave after a spate of positive tests.

At least two players inside the NBA bubble have paid a steep price for violating quarantine upon arriving last week.

Sacramento’s Richaun Holmes revealed Monday that he “briefly and accidentally” crossed the NBA campus line to pick up a food delivery. Under NBA rules, he has to spend 10 days in quarantine. Holmes said he had eight days left.

“I apologize for my actions and look forward to rejoining my teammates for our playoff push,” Holmes wrote.

Also Monday, a source said that Houston’s Bruno Caboclo was also serving a 10day quarantine for crossing the campus line. Like Holmes, Caboclo also had eight days left Monday, according to the person who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Monday’s developments came on a day when more than 12,000 new cases were confirmed in Florida, now perhaps the hottest of virus hotspots in the U.S. And officials in Houston also called for that city to lock back down as area hospitals strain to accommodate coronavirus patients.

“Please take this virus seriously,” Westbrook wrote. “Be safe. Mask up!”