As cases of COVID-19 continue to surge across the country, many communities are facing renewed efforts at social distancing and/or shelter-in-place orders to try and stem the tide of the deadly virus that has killed nearly a quarter-million Americans.
This had been one of the biggest sticking points around the decision of when to start the new NBA season, as the league faced the dilemma of holding games without fans or losing upwards of a $1 billion in revenue if it postponed play for a couple months while waiting for a potential vaccine.
With the 2020-21 season set to tip off on Dec. 22, there still isn’t much clarity about what the fan situation will be, although the Lakers announced last week that won’t be permitting fans at Staples Center when the season opens. The Warriors on the other hand, have reportedly submitted a bold plan that would allow 50 percent capacity at their home games.
Lacob said the Warriors are prepared to spend upward of $30 million to test every fan, Warriors employee and player with the most accurate form of COVID-19 testing for each home game or day they come to Chase Center.
“I not only want to get this done and show the world how we can do it now, I’m willing to spend the money to do it,” said Lacob, who holds a master’s degree in public health from UCLA and built his fortune as a venture capitalist in biotechnology. “This is a serious, serious problem. It cannot go on for multiple years … because if this were to go on for several years, the NBA is no more.
***
It hinges on the use of rapid PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests or equivalent amplification technologies that can detect traces of the virus’ genetic material in nasal or throat swabs within 15 minutes and are far more accurate than rapid antigen tests, which look for a protein that is present on the surface of the virus that is shed.
In the Orlando Bubble, the NBA used a different version of the tests that reportedly had greater accuracy but took longer to return results, about 24 hours. Lacob is one of the league’s wealthier owners, and it’s unclear whether other teams around the NBA would be willing or able to spend the money for similar plans.
The Warriors’ plan would also be aligned with the requirements the league out to teams earlier this week for potentially allowing fans, which include some version of rapid-response testing for fans who would be seated near the court. Other teams around the country would also be governed by local social distancing rules for large gatherings, but if approved, the Warriors’ plan could help pave the way for getting at least a semblance of normalcy back into the coming season.
(Via ESPN)