Clippers Staff Quarantined after Positive COVID-19 Test
The Clippers will be missing some of their support staff after one member tested positive for a COVID-19 test.
The news was broken by Adrian Wojnarowski, which Sports Illustrated also confirmed through sources. Support staff includes trainers, communications, digital, medical, basically anyone who isn't a player or coach.
Through contact tracing, it was learned that the positive case originated from "eight people attending a New Year’s Eve meal at a presidential suite in the team hotel with intermittent mask-wearing." In most situations, the presidential suite is occupied by players assistants, and trainers. While the details aren't known, it would be safe to assume that the quarantined group could be from that personnel.
The intermittent mask-wearing could most likely come from the fact that people take off their masks to eat. This gives the perfect illustration as to why the NBA doesn't allow media, staff, or even players to eat inside of their arenas anymore. All media must eat outside of the arena, and all players can't eat within their locker rooms anymore.
As a result, all of the support staff members who had to be quarantined will now be returned to Los Angeles. This situation could have been much worse for the LA Clippers. They were fortunate enough to not have a single-player or coach quarantine, or test positive, when they easily could have. It's a precautionary tale that will hopefully make players take COVID-19 more seriously.
While no players or coaches needed to quarantine, that doesn't make anyone else's situation less significant. We hope the individual who tested positive for COVID-19 recovers quickly.
