NBA Suspends Season after Rudy Gobert Tests Positive for COVID-19
The apparently unstoppable spread of the coronavirus has freaked people out all around the world. Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in December, 2019, more than 120,000 cases have surfaced in over 110 countries. Close to 5,000 individuals have died so far.
The Coronavirus Spreading Its Tentacles Far and Wide
Authorities everywhere have gone into overdrive in an attempt to deal with the pandemic effectively. While China remains the worst affected, places like Iran, Italy and South Korea have also been struck badly.
The Italian government, in particular, has placed the country on lockdown. Business has come to a grinding halt while public events are being canceled or postponed left, right and center. The sporting scene is no different. All the games in Italy’s domestic soccer season have been postponed for a month while many encounters in the UEFA Champions League and the Europa League are being played behind closed doors.
On this side of the Atlantic, more than 1,000 people have been affected by the COVID-19 to date. Its damage control time and now the pro sports leagues are taking precautionary measures too.
NBA Suspends the 2019-20 Campaign after Player Contracts the Coronavirus
The coronavirus pandemic has caused the NBA to suspend the ongoing season after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert reportedly tested positive for the disease. After initially deciding to organize games in empty arenas, the league has now suspended all on-court activity till further notice.
Play has also been called off in the NBA G-League for now with no word on a possible resumption in the near future. The test results for Gobert were reported a while before the Jazz were due to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 11, 2020. The clash was supposed to go ahead at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, the latter’s home court, but was called off after news of Gobert’s virus became public.
The Frenchman and his teammates have been put into a 14-day quarantine while the authorities work to come up with a reliable safety protocol for players, officials and fans during games. At the moment, there is no indication of when play might start again. This is a developing story.
