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NBA announces zero positive COVID-19 tests in bubble as resumption of play looms

With NBA play scheduled to resume on July 30, the league announced on Monday that its latest round of testing produced zero positive COVID-19 cases.

The results are based on testing of 346 players within the Disney World bubble since results were last announced on July 13. Those tests produced two positive cases out of 322 players tested since July 7.

The players who tested positive in the initial round of bubble testing were in quarantine and left the bubble to self-isolate, according to the NBA. Those players were not identified.

Good start for bubble

The results are good news for the NBA, which is relying on the integrity of the bubble for the resumption of its season to succeed. The bubble league tips off on July 30 when the New Orleans Pelicans play the Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Clippers.

The NBA announced that there are no new cases inside the bubble. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The NBA announced that there are no new cases inside the bubble. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

A full slate of regular-season games will follow the next day until Aug. 14 after each team in the bubble has played eight games. The playoffs are slated to begin on Aug. 18.

COVID-19 rages on outside the bubble

The bubble is taking place as a COVID-19 outbreak rages around it in Florida. The state announced 10,487 new cases and 90 new deaths on Monday. The new cases raise the tally in the state to 360,394 confirmed infections with 5,072 deaths attributed to COVID-19. The state announced 740 COVID-19 deaths over the course of last week.

The NBA touts the bubble as safer for players inside than they would be anywhere else. But with Disney World support staff allowed to travel in and out of the bubble, it’s obviously not a perfect system.

NBA players joined the bubble starting in early July with the majority of players participating already on campus. Monday’s news doesn’t guarantee success, but demonstrates that bubble is off to a good start.

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