As a nation we may be transitioning out of the pandemic phase, but COVID-19 and its variants are still a reality, it’s still taking lives, and it can’t be ignored.
It’s still a part of the NBA as well, and Bradley Beal will miss the Wizards preseason game Monday — and potentially will be out longer — after entering the league’s health and safety protocols.
Bradley Beal (health and safety protocols) will not play in Monday night’s preseason game vs. Charlotte.
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) October 9, 2022
He will return to the team upon receiving clearance under the current NBA guidelines.
Beal is vaccinated, hopefully he does not suffer serious symptoms or have to be out for an extended period of time. Vaccinated players are only tested for the virus when “directed by their team physician or a league physician or government authority.” (Unvaccinated players and staff are tested weekly.)
The Wizards open the season 10 days from now, on Oct. 19 in Indiana.
The league has laid out COVID protocols for the 202-23 season, hopefully we will not be talking about them much because the virus will remain in the background this season. But as Beal shows, the virus is still a part of our lives and the league, and there could be impacts.
