While the NBA champion Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets quickly received coronavirus tests, the general public has been left waiting, sparking a backlash over privileged athletes’ and celebrities’ access to care.
“We wish them a speedy recovery. But, with all due respect, an entire NBA team should NOT get tested for COVID-19 while there are critically ill patients waiting to be tested,” tweeted New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio after it was reported the Nets had been tested and four players were isolated after positive coronavirus results.
“Tests should not be for the wealthy, but for the sick.”
As the coronavirus spreads and the United States deals with a shortage of test kits, the public has grown increasingly disgruntled over the ease by which professional athletes get tested while others displaying symptoms are forced to wait.
The highly contagious respiratory illness caused by the virus has now infected close to 8,000 Americans while the death toll has climbed to at least 145.
Spurned spouses cash in as North Carolina’s ‘homewrecker’ law turns cheating into a courtroom jackpot
DA Said Gunman Needed Heavy Sentence And Judge Didn’t Listen: Guess What He’s Charged With Now
How Democratic leadership sank $40 million meant to defend key seats on a gamble that backfired
Trump blasts Sen Bill Cassidy as ‘disloyal disaster,’ pushes challenger Julia Letlow in Louisiana GOP primary
SCOOP: How Trump Admin Is Taking Leftist Terrorism Crackdown Worldwide
Missing American’s husband sat on boat for 24 hours after she vanished in Bahamas, friend says
CIA Whistleblower Alleges Coverup of COVID-19 Lab Leak Intelligence
John Fetterman Opens Up About Phone Call to Erika Kirk, Rips Into Her Critics: ‘What’s Wrong With People?’
Hunter Biden resurfaces in LA, reacts to questions about Biden tapes, UFO files
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Bishop Barron to address ‘true threat to democracy’ at Trump prayer event
Bill Cassidy’s political future hangs in the balance
Senator John Kennedy introduces America to ‘Margaret,’ his elliptical trainer named after Thatcher
Waymo driverless cars overrun Atlanta neighborhood, circling cul-de-sacs and alarming families with kids
Lithuania and Poland forecast ‘military aid’ to help open Strait of Hormuz amid denials of US troop reductions in region
From Revival to Reformation: Why I’m Running for Governor of California
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, in an interview with ESPN on Wednesday, said he could understand de Blasio’s concern but the bigger one was that there are not enough tests available and that the league was simply following protocol.
“I of course understand his point and it’s unfortunate that we’re in this position as a society that it’s triage when it comes to testing,” said Silver, adding that eight full teams as well as individual players have been tested. “And so the fundamental issue is there are insufficient tests.
“But we’ve been following the recommendations of public health officials.”
USA Today reported last week that after Utah Jazz’s Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus 58 members of the Jazz organization were tested.
INFECTED PLAYERS
So were the Oklahoma Thunder, the team the Jazz were scheduled to play last Wednesday, and the entire Toronto Raptors travelling squad who were concerned they might have come in contact with infected players during a visit to Salt Lake City on March 9.
The Los Angeles Lakers, the last team to play the Nets before the NBA season was suspended, announced on Wednesday their players were also undergoing tests for COVID-19.
Spurned spouses cash in as North Carolina’s ‘homewrecker’ law turns cheating into a courtroom jackpot
DA Said Gunman Needed Heavy Sentence And Judge Didn’t Listen: Guess What He’s Charged With Now
How Democratic leadership sank $40 million meant to defend key seats on a gamble that backfired
Trump blasts Sen Bill Cassidy as ‘disloyal disaster,’ pushes challenger Julia Letlow in Louisiana GOP primary
SCOOP: How Trump Admin Is Taking Leftist Terrorism Crackdown Worldwide
Missing American’s husband sat on boat for 24 hours after she vanished in Bahamas, friend says
CIA Whistleblower Alleges Coverup of COVID-19 Lab Leak Intelligence
John Fetterman Opens Up About Phone Call to Erika Kirk, Rips Into Her Critics: ‘What’s Wrong With People?’
Hunter Biden resurfaces in LA, reacts to questions about Biden tapes, UFO files
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Bishop Barron to address ‘true threat to democracy’ at Trump prayer event
Bill Cassidy’s political future hangs in the balance
Senator John Kennedy introduces America to ‘Margaret,’ his elliptical trainer named after Thatcher
Waymo driverless cars overrun Atlanta neighborhood, circling cul-de-sacs and alarming families with kids
Lithuania and Poland forecast ‘military aid’ to help open Strait of Hormuz amid denials of US troop reductions in region
From Revival to Reformation: Why I’m Running for Governor of California
The ability of NBA teams to secure tests on demand has drawn the wrath of fans on social media.
“The thing is that is always the case. The rich will always get it first and the poor will always get it last,” tweeted @thedrsec, who has over 23,000 followers and a radio program on 22 stations across seven states.
President Donald Trump waded into the issue during a news conference on Wednesday when he was asked, “How are non-symptomatic professional athletes getting tests while others are waiting in line and can’t get them? Do the well connected go to the front of the line?”
“No, I wouldn’t say so,” said the president. “But perhaps that’s the story of life. That does happen on occasion, and I’ve noticed where people have been tested fairly quickly.” In most cases the ability of teams to get their players tested has had more to do with money and going through private labs than state-run public health departments and jumping the queue.
The NBA also defended the speedy action as a way of preventing the spread of the virus with testing of players drawing it to the attention of young people.
Spurned spouses cash in as North Carolina’s ‘homewrecker’ law turns cheating into a courtroom jackpot
DA Said Gunman Needed Heavy Sentence And Judge Didn’t Listen: Guess What He’s Charged With Now
How Democratic leadership sank $40 million meant to defend key seats on a gamble that backfired
Trump blasts Sen Bill Cassidy as ‘disloyal disaster,’ pushes challenger Julia Letlow in Louisiana GOP primary
SCOOP: How Trump Admin Is Taking Leftist Terrorism Crackdown Worldwide
Missing American’s husband sat on boat for 24 hours after she vanished in Bahamas, friend says
CIA Whistleblower Alleges Coverup of COVID-19 Lab Leak Intelligence
John Fetterman Opens Up About Phone Call to Erika Kirk, Rips Into Her Critics: ‘What’s Wrong With People?’
Hunter Biden resurfaces in LA, reacts to questions about Biden tapes, UFO files
EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Bishop Barron to address ‘true threat to democracy’ at Trump prayer event
Bill Cassidy’s political future hangs in the balance
Senator John Kennedy introduces America to ‘Margaret,’ his elliptical trainer named after Thatcher
Waymo driverless cars overrun Atlanta neighborhood, circling cul-de-sacs and alarming families with kids
Lithuania and Poland forecast ‘military aid’ to help open Strait of Hormuz amid denials of US troop reductions in region
From Revival to Reformation: Why I’m Running for Governor of California
“The NBA’s move to halt its season led the way for other leagues and raised awareness of the threat of the virus,” said Silver.
“My sense was that especially among young people, people were not taking these protocols very seriously until we did what we did.” (Reporting by Steve Keating in Toronto. Additional reporting Rory Carroll in Los Angeles, Amy Tennery in New York, Editing by Ed Osmond)
Story cited here.
