NBA Considering Holding On-Site COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics for Teams

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

The NBA is reportedly exploring on-site vaccination clinics for teams as it continues to play its 2020-21 campaign amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Baxter Holmes of ESPN reported the news, noting the league sent out a memo Wednesday revealing it will potentially coordinate with national pharmacy chains "to host on-site vaccination clinics for players, team and arena personnel, and household members at team facilities and arenas in the coming weeks."

Holmes provided more context, noting the league is also asking teams to evaluate how much interest those in their respective organizations have in participating and hosting the clinics.

This comes after it appeared as if the NBA was incentivizing players and personnel to get vaccinated by easing restrictions those who are fully vaccinated will face. On Thursday, Holmes reported the changes would apply to those who are "two weeks past their final dose and any team where 85 percent of players and 85 percent of staff are fully vaccinated."

Among the lessened restrictions would be more opportunities for players to leave the team hotel on the road, dine at restaurants and have visitors on the road.

Teams that are fully vaccinated would not be required to wear masks at the practice facility either.

Plenty of games in the first half of the season were postponed because of COVID-19 concerns and contact tracing. While things have appeared to stabilize some as vaccination rates go up across the country, it still stands in stark contrast to the NBA's efforts to finish the 2019-20 campaign.

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The league finished its season inside the Walt Disney World Resort bubble and did not have a single positive test.