As NBA owners prepare for a meeting to discuss drastic measures to ensure player safety due to the coronavirus, league officials are reportedly planning on closing the locker room to reporters for the immediate future.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Brian Windhorst, the NBA plans to limit access to locker rooms to only players and essential team personnel. Furthermore, NBA teams are reportedly being instructed to create a six-to-eight foot distance between players and the media during interviews.
The protocol mirrors the rule implemented by the NHL with the ongoing spread of COVID-19, known as coronavirus. It’s also believed that other leagues could begin to follow similar measures to ensure the safety of their players.
NBA officials are also considering holding games without fans or any non-essential personnel in attendance. The league told teams this past week to prepare for the possible safety measure and NBA owners will discuss it during a conference call on Wednesday.
The Nippon Professional Baseball announced it is postponing the start of its season due to concern over COVID-19. Meanwhile, one of the top tennis tournaments was canceled due to someone in the community having the coronavirus.
As the entire world continues to deal with the spread of the virus, organizations are now taking the proper steps to ensure the health and safety of their employees.