Clippers close training facility Thursday after positive COVID test
The Clippers closed their Playa Vista practice facility Thursday as a precaution after someone who is expected to travel with the team to the NBA season restart near Orlando, Fla., tested positive for the coronavirus, two people with knowledge of the situation said.
The Clippers are considering re-opening the facility for workouts Friday, said one of the people who are not authorized to speak publicly, but added a decision wasn’t final.
The closure came one day after the NBA began the third phase of its restart plan, with teams across the league opening their doors for mandatory, individual workouts while testing players and essential staff members every other day.
The Clippers are scheduled to depart for Orlando on July 8 and play their first game on Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on July 30 against the Lakers.
“What we're going to try to do once we get to Disney is to protect each other, protect the area, but we have to get there,” coach Doc Rivers said Wednesday, when he acknowledged at the time that he was unaware of any positive tests. “You know, you're almost nervous about that.”
During the league’s third phase, no more than eight players can be in the facility at any time, according to the health and safety protocols the league issued teams in June.
Guards Lou Williams, Reggie Jackson and center Joakim Noah were among those who worked out at the facility Wednesday, according to photos posted by the team.
Anyone infected with coronavirus must self-isolate at home until cleared by a physician, according to NBA rules. Additionally, teams are required to disclose the positive test to other players and staff members who were at the facility, and then disinfect all the locations where the infected person had been within the last day.
