NBA, MLB, NHL, MLS closing locker rooms amid virus scare

NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer are closing access to locker rooms and clubhouses to all nessential personnel, including media, in response to coronavirus crisis, leagues anunced in a joint statement Monday night.

y said y made decision “after consultation with infectious disease and public health experts.” NBA, in a call with teams earlier Monday, stressed that move is t to ban reporters but to ensure safety of players and staff in those areas.

statement, in part, read: “Given issues that can be associated with close contact in pre- and post-game settings, all team locker rooms and clubhouses will be open only to players and essential employees of teams and team facilities until furr tice. Media access will be maintained in designated locations outside of locker room and clubhouse setting.”

changes, which leagues say are temporary, will begin Tuesday — though some NHL teams began putting m into use this past weekend and Buffalo Sabres did same on Monday night. NBA said interviews with players would continue in different settings, stressing a gap of 6-to-8 feet between reporters and interview subjects.

“I don’t kw that we have our arms around how significant of an issue this is at this point, so if league is recommending or ir policy is we want to take step by step type precautions, n we want to go along with that,” Texas Rangers general manr Jon Daniels said.

It is unclear how long new policies will last.

“ disrespect, but that’s last thing I’m worried about,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said prior to Denver’s NBA game against Milwaukee on Monday night.

For most people, new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

vast majority of people recover from new virus. According to World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In mainland China, where virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagsed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.

“Roses are red, Violets are blue, Wash your hands! WASH YOUR HANDS!” Enes Kanter of Boston Celtics wrote on Twitter.

Meanwhile, re is already a clear sense of new rmal in U.S.

Miami Heat held ir annual gala at a ater in Miami Beach on Monday night, albeit a bit differently than usual. team’s three NBA championship trophies were near entrance — with someone standing by with a bottle of hand sanitizer. And guests, when y arrived, were offered champagne by some attendants, more hand sanitizer by ors.

“Until league says something else, we are business as usual with a tremendous amount of caution and prevention to make sure everybody’s safe,” Heat President Pat Riley said Monday night. “But also, educating m that y’ve got to do same thing.”

NBA held a call with team medical staffs later Monday night and scheduled a Wednesday call between league officials and team owners to discuss next steps. NBA told teams last week to prepare for possibility of playing games in empty arenas, something game’s biggest star — Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James — insists he does t want to see.

“I doubt that that’s going to happen,” Riley said. “But you have to be prepared.”

MLB officials, like NBA, held a conference call with all 30 of its franchises on Monday to discuss new policies. All four leagues — and NFL, which has been involved in talks but isn’t part of this policy since teams are currently holding practices — are collecting information from CDC and Canadian health officials, even as situation changes almost on an hour-by-hour basis.

“We are regularly conveying guidance from se experts to clubs, players, and staff regarding prevention, good hygiene practices and latest recommendations related to travel,” MLB said in a statement. “We are continuing to monitor developments and will adjust as necessary. While MLB recognizes fluidity of this rapidly evolving situation, our current intention is to play Spring Training and regular season games as scheduled.”

More than 113,000 people worldwide have tested positive for disease and over 3,900 people with virus have died, most of m in China. More than 62,000 people have already recovered. virus has infected 600 people in United States — including director of ncy that runs airports in New York and New Jersey — and at least 26 have died, most in Washington state.

Pro Basketball Writers Association quickly responded to leagues’ anuncement by saying its membership “believes safety of fans, players, team employees, arena workers and media who cover league must be protected. Our thoughts are with all people who already have been adversely impacted by virus.

“refore, we understand NBA’s decision to temporarily close locker rooms to everyone but players and essential team personnel with NBA’s promise that once coronavirus crisis abates, league will restore full access to journalists who cover league.”

Some NCAA Division III men’s basketball games this past weekend were played without crowds because of concerns over virus. At least one college hockey playoff series this coming weekend in Troy, New York, between RPI and Harvard also will be played without fans.