Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Sports Teams' Dilemma: Money or Health
Los Angeles Times: Pro Sports Leagues Jump The Line For COVID Test Results
On July 2, Dr. Adrian Burrowes, a family medicine physician in central Florida, saw a patient who feared he might have contracted COVID-19. So he had the patient tested and submitted the test to a lab. Sixteen days later, he’s still waiting for the results. That same day, less than half an hour away in Orlando, about 180 players and staff members from four Major League Soccer teams had a similar test performed upon checking into their hotel. Their results came back within hours. (Baxter, 7/19)
AP: Players Plead With NFL To Address Health, Safety Concerns
NFL players are publicly pleading with the league to address several health and safety concerns on the eve of training camp. The league informed teams on Saturday that training camps will open on time even though discussions with the players’ union regarding testing for the coronavirus and other health and safety protocols are ongoing. Rookies for Houston and Kansas City are set to report Monday, and rookies for other teams are due on Tuesday. Many prominent players expressed their thoughts in a social media blitz Sunday. (Maadi, 7/19)
The Wall Street Journal: Schools Ask Athletes To Accept Health Risks Amid The Pandemic
As the power brokers of college football frantically maneuver to save the 2020 season, some are asking a very big favor from their athletes: accept the risk of playing during the coronavirus pandemic. A number of schools have required or encouraged athletes to sign forms acknowledging the health risks of playing during the pandemic, and in some cases absolving schools of liability in the case of athlete infection. (Higgins, 7/19)
The Wall Street Journal: Canada Bars Blue Jays From Playing Home Games In Toronto
Canada won’t allow the Blue Jays to play Major League Baseball games in Toronto this season, citing the risk posed by team players and staff traveling to parts of the U.S. where the risk of Covid-19 transmission is elevated. The country’s immigration minister, Marco Mendicino, issued the ruling Saturday, just five days before the start of a pandemic-shortened, 60-game MLB campaign. The Blue Jays’ schedule is slated to begin Friday in St. Petersburg, Fla., against the Tampa Bay Rays. They were hoping to return to Rogers Centre, their stadium in downtown Toronto since 1989, for a series against the Washington Nationals on July 29. (Diamond and Vieira, 7/18)
Reuters: Nicklaus Says He Was Ill With COVID-19 Earlier This Year
Jack Nicklaus, the 18-time golf major winner, said on Sunday that he was ill with COVID-19 earlier this year and his wife Barbara had also tested positive for the coronavirus. At 80 years old, Nicklaus is in the higher risk category for being seriously ill with the disease, which has killed more than 140,000 people in the United States. He said he counted himself lucky to have come through with a relatively mild case. (7/19)
