Citing an “abundance of caution,” the Portland Trail Blazers shut down their practice facility for one day Sunday — just as training camp is about to start — after three members of the organization tested positive for COVID-19.
The team released this statement through GM/president Neil Olshey.
"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
It was not announced whether the people who tested positive for COVID-19 were Portland players or staff (this will be common this season due to HIPPA restrictions).
While the deep cleaning is good, the coronavirus is rarely passed on surfaces. It is the contact tracing that matters more.
The NBA has sent out extensive sets of guidelines for the opening of training camps, but the league also knew there would be players and staff testing positive — 48 players (8.8%) of those reporting to camp were positive for the virus. As it was with the bubble, the league hopes to catch players/staff with the virus at the start of camps and control it that way, limiting the number of players and staff who come down with COVID-19 during the season.
Portland is scheduled to open its preseason at home on Dec. 11 against Sacramento.
