NBA, NBPA Announce 0 New Positive COVID-19 Tests Since Jan. 27
The NBA and NBPA announced Wednesday that there were no new positive tests for COVID-19 in the latest round of testing between Jan. 27 and Feb. 2.
In total, 482 players were tested. As Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium noted, the league's positive coronavirus tests have steadily decreased in the past four weeks, going from 16 four weeks ago to 11, one and now zero.
The NBA has now postponed 23 games amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with Monday's matchup between the Detroit Pistons and Denver Nuggets the latest. The league began rescheduling some of those games as of last week and only initially scheduled the first half of the season, presumably as a contingency plan to remain flexible during the second half of the season in the event of postponements during the first half.
The NBA reportedly is cracking down on its preventive measures, however, with Charania reporting Tuesday that the league on Friday will begin a "program of enhanced enforcement of face mask rules during games and will impose penalties on player or staff members who fail to comply."
Additionally, ESPN's Tim Bontemps reported Tuesday that the NBA was requiring players to specifically wear KN95 or KF94 masks "in all instances where required," which includes when they are on the bench during games.
The NBA has allowed a cooldown area away from the bench for players who just exited the game and are attempting to catch their breath. Those players are expected to return to the bench and put on a mask at some point, however.
