Amid a COVID-19 spike, NBA teams are now required to host an enhanced event by December 31, according to report

As COVID-19 cases continue to rise nationwide, the NBA, has postponed 9 games with more than 90 players in health and safety protocols as of Thursday night, has been adjusting its policies.

Teams are now allowed to sign a substitute for each player they lose to the COVID protocol and they request to sign one for every two they lose. Starting December 26, all players and staff, vaccinated or not, Will be tested for COVID on all game days unless they have received a booster shot 14 or more days ago or have recovered from a recent episode of infection.

Previously, vaccinated players were not required to be tested. Also starting December 26, players and staff will be required to wear masks on the bench, in team facilities and on the go.

The latest attempt to slow the rise in cases in the league: Each team, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, will “be required to host an enhanced firing event by December 31, in which doses are given Boosts are offered to players, eligible staff and their families.”

That doesn’t mean players and staff are required to get boosters, just as there’s no federation mandate over the initial dose of the vaccine. This merely encourages a booster dose and makes it available at all times.

Even in the rising landscape, not all tournament protocols are as tight as possible. One, in fact, may become looser. Here’s an explanation from our James Herbert, citing reports from ESPN’s Charania and Adrian Wojnarowksi, regarding the potential rollout of shorter quarantine periods for eligible cases:

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are about to reach an agreement to shorten the mandatory isolation period for some players who test positive for COVID-19, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Players may be eligible to return as early as six days after a positive test result, depending on the cycle threshold (CT), as first reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania.

The details are expected to be shared with the teams soon, according to ESPN, but it’s unclear when the new deal will go into effect and how it could affect the five games being televised nationally. takes place on Christmas Day.

This new plan will effectively modify existing health and safety protocols, which stipulate that players who test positive must remain in isolation until a) 10 days after testing positive initially or at onset of symptoms, 24 hours after antipyretic without medication and CT greater than 30; or b) the player tested negative on two PCR tests, 24 hours apart.

Indeed, all is well as the league, the country and the world at large continue to grapple with this pandemic.