Just a couple of week prior to the start of the season, the Portland Trail Blazers have closed their facility for deep cleaning after three positive COVID-19 tests came back in a span of four days.
The team, who did not say if the positive tests involved players, staff or some combination of the two, had already began to have players back in their facility for individual workouts.
"Over the past four days, we have had three positive COVID test results within our organization. Out of an abundance of caution, having completed contact tracing, we are closing our practice facility today for deep cleaning while we run confirmatory tests," Neil Olshey, President of Basketball Operations said in a statement.
"Over the past four days, we have had three positive COVID test results within our organization. Out of an abundance of caution, having completed contact tracing, we are closing our practice facility today for deep cleaning while we run confirmatory tests” -Neil Olshey
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) December 6, 2020
NBA teams began coronavirus testing to prepare for camp around Nov. 24, and the league said 48 players were positive for COVID-19 in the first week of that program.
“It’s something you’ve got to deal with,” Miami Heat guard and National Basketball Players Association vice president Andre Iguodala said when told of the Blazers’ situation. “Hope for the best but prepare for the worst and see what happens from there.”