NFL and NBA lead new outbreaks of Covid in sports, prompting fines, restrictions and delays

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NFL preseason game between Seattle Seahawks vs Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on August 14, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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As the number of Covid cases increases, professional sports leagues are once again feeling the impact, leading to delays and star players missing matches.

More than 100 individuals in the National Football League, National Basketball Federation and National Hockey League signed health and safety protocols this week.

In the NFL alone, more than 70 players who tested positive for Covid were positive on Monday and Tuesday, and are in step with surpassing the 72 positive cases the league reported on Dec. 2 for a period between 14. November and 27 November. Seven teams are now in improved mitigation protocols that require more testing and stricter prevention rules. In addition, a member of the Washington Football Team staff was positive about the recently discovered version of omicron, which world health officials say is spreading faster than any other strain of Covid.

While leagues are unlikely to push the panic button, as in March 2020, when the NBA led a complete suspension of sports games, the rise of the omicron version is a cause for concern.

Here are the leagues after the Covid outbreaks this week.

Freeport, NY: A shot of the Pfizer booster vaccine with a COVID-19 vaccine given to a person while a Vaxmobile Mount Sinai South Nassau attends Freeport High School in Freeport, New York on November 30, 2021.

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NFL binding accelerators

The NFL is tightening its Covid guidelines as it nears the end of the regular season and prepares for the first rounds of the playoffs next month ahead of the LVI Super Bowl on Feb. 13 in Los Angeles.

A letter from the NFL sent Monday, seen by CNBC, states that Tier 1 and Tier 2 staff, including coaches and reception staff, must receive a booster injection by Dec. 27.

At the same time, star players, including Rams receiver Odell Beckham, were placed on the Covid roster, sending teams into more intense protocols. After positive tests, the Rams have joined the Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, Minnesota Vikings and Washington Football Team in improved league protocols. The guidelines force all players to withstand daily testing, organize virtual team meetings, and enforce mask mandates. Under league rules, individuals who test positive are isolated, not allowed on team premises, and unable to have direct contact with players or staff.

“We continue to talk to our medical experts and the NFLPA,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a CNBC email Wednesday morning. “Like last year, we remain flexible and adaptable and will make changes based on the latest guidelines to ensure the health and safety of all NFL-related people.”

NFL set penalties for outbreaks which led to the cancellation or postponement of the match last July. He warned that teams could have to pay any shortfall in the away team’s revenue set on match day or even lose games. Players would also miss checking out the game.

Despite the penalties, some NFL teams and players have made headlines this season for violating NFL Covid policies.

Earlier this month, league suspended Tampa Bay Buccaneers player Antonio Brown and two other players for three games without pay because they lied about the vaccination status against Covid-19. And last month she played Green Bay Packers Aaron Rodgers apologized because he misled the league about his vaccination.

Rodgers was positive on Covid and was also fined $ 14,650 for attending a party while unvaccinated, and the Packers were fined $ 300,000 for their violations.

The NFL is holding a meeting of owners in Dallas this week, and League Commissioner Roger Goodell is expected to further address the Covid outbreak in the league on Wednesday afternoon.

Bam Adebayo # 13 of the Miami Heat greets Zach LaVine # 8 of the Chicago Bulls after a game at the FTX Arena on December 11, 2021 in Miami, Florida.

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Covid could ruin the NBA’s momentum

Meanwhile, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the league will experience additional positive cases when he spoke at a sports conference last October.

So far he is right.

On Monday, the NBA postponed two games with the Chicago Bulls following the outbreak of Covid, which affected 10 players. The Bulls had at least eight players available in the league, but after talks with Chicago health officials, the NBA eventually decided to postpone the Bulls home game at the United Center.

NBA league protocols stipulate that players stay for at least 10 days or take two negative tests within 24 hours before returning.

In addition to the Bulls, Brooklyn The Nets also had seven players, including All-Star James Harden, enter health and safety protocols. The Milwaukee Bucks could also be without stars Giannis Antetokounmpa and the Los Angeles Lakers because of Covid were careful after a recent positive test.

The NBA notes that 97% of the league is vaccinated, and behind-the-scenes estimates are more than 60% of those who have received revaccination vaccinations.

Nevertheless, positive Covid cases could threaten the NBA at a crucial time.

The league highlighted its success in ratings this season ahead of the annual games on Christmas Day next weekend. But these competitions could be much less attractive if there are no stars.

One of the Christmas games the NBA is planning next Saturday is the Brooklyn Nets against the Los Angeles Lakers. Disney– owned by ABC. Cryptocurrency exchange Crypto.com also relies on this competition, marking the official debut of its 700-million-dollar arena naming agreement with the Lakers.

The league is in contact with clubs to request available dates to plan for more delays, and there is speculation that the NBA could begin to demand proof of boost shots among media members with access to players.

But there’s no indication as to whether the NBA is willing to consider more extreme measures, such as suspending playground ticket sales and lower ticket sales. This would eliminate the proximity of players and staff, which could help reduce the risk of transferring Covid, but would hurt revenue from the visit and affect the league’s $ 10 billion projection this season.

“As in the rest of the country and as predicted by our infectious disease specialists, we have seen an increase in cases in the League,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass told CNBC. “Since we have been in the pandemic since March 2020, we will continue to monitor science and data and, in close collaboration with the Actors Association, update our protocols as our health experts deem appropriate.”

The NBA could also get help from local governments. Several statements require fans to show proof of vaccination before entering the arenas. In addition, local mandates can lead to unvaccinated players being vaccinated or risking losing game checks.

Hockey was also affected. The The NHL postponed the game in Chicago after the Calgary Flames suffered an outbreak of Covid. The team is expected to face the Blackhawks on Monday

This is the third time this season that the NHL has postponed a game because of Covid. New York Islanders competition in Philadelphia Nov. 30 was also moved after an outbreak on their list.

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