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Updated December 16th, 2021 at 10:16 IST

NBA records first Omicron COVID-19 case among players, 7 teams enter protocols: Report

One of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) players has reportedly contracted the extremely contagious Omicron COVID-19 strain.

Reported by: Vishal Tiwari
NBA, NFL, Omicron, NBA Covid protocols, Detroit Lions, NBA covid-19, NBA omicron, NBA players out due to COVID, Chicago Bulls
Image: nba.com | Image:self
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One of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) players has reportedly contracted the Omicron COVID-19 strain. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the NBA's first Omicron case was discovered in an unnamed player who tested positive during the league's most recent round of testing. This comes after new cases of COVID-19 have caused upheaval across sporting leagues in the United States, where according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Omicron accounts for nearly three per cent of the total infections.  

Impact of COVID-19 on NBA

The NBA is currently witnessing a massive outbreak among players, support staff, executives, and broadcast teams too. Chicago Bulls were recently forced to put 10 of its players in health and safety protocols, which resulted in them being out of the league for at least a few days. Similarly, the Brooklyn Nets played its home game against Toronto without its key players as they were forced into health and safety protocols before the match. 

Meanwhile, it's not just the players, but officials and executives have also returned positive results in the recent past, Indiana coach Rick Carlisle was forced to miss a couple of games after he tested positive for the virus. Raptors President Masai Ujiri also tested positive after he hosted an event that was also attended by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, who were forced to take daily tests too. 

According to reports, at least 16 players have entered the NBA's COVID-19 protocols over the first six weeks of the ongoing season. Among players currently sidelined are former MVPs Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden in addition to former All-Stars in LaMarcus Aldridge, DeMar DeRozan, Dwight Howard, Zach LaVine, and Paul Millsap. The current spike of COVID-19 in the NBA has impacted a total of 13 teams, with the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls suffering the biggest losses, with seven and 10 players lost to protocols, respectively.

On Friday, the NBA will implement the most recent league guidelines, which will see more players take the COVID-19 vaccination booster shot. According to statistics, over 97 percent of NBA players have been completely vaccinated, with 60% having already taken the booster shot. Those who have not received the vaccine are exposed to daily testing and different protocols than those who have received the immunisation.

Image: nba.com

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Published December 16th, 2021 at 10:16 IST

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