A surge in the number of coronavirus cases in Florida has sparked concerns over the National Basketball Association’s plans to resume play next month at Walt Disney World in Orlando.
Twenty-two teams plan to be housed at Disney resorts in Orange and Osceola counties. Orange County added 1,285 new cases over the past two days, and Osceola County saw 179 new cases, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has pushed to resume professional sports in Florida, including the NBA. But DeSantis’ administration has not spoken to the league during the past two days.
“To the best of my knowledge, no one has spoken to the NBA.”
“To the best of my knowledge, no one has spoken to the NBA,” Helen Aguirre Ferre, a spokeswoman for the governor’s office, told The News Service of Florida on Thursday.
The rising numbers of cases have concerned NBA players and executives, according to reports from ESPN and Yahoo Sports! National Basketball Players Association Executive Director Michele Roberts told ESPN on Saturday the association is “obviously clearly monitoring the situation,” adding that she was not surprised at the spike in cases “given the state’s approach to reopening.”
Roberts added the association may seek to add “further restrictions” for Disney staffers who will service the hotels where teams will stay or provide other services at the resort.
_
Please follow CDC guidelines and Orange County advisories to stay safe, and please support this free publication. Our small but mighty team is working tirelessly to bring you news on how coronavirus is affecting Central Florida. Please consider making a one-time or monthly donation. Every little bit helps.
Related Stories
This article appears in Summer Guide 2020: Salvage the Season.