As concerns over COVID-19 continue to mount, the NHL, NBA, MLB and MLS have taken a step towards trying to limit the impact of the outbreak on its players, coaches and other employees.
Each league is closing their locker rooms to the media over fears of the coronavirus spreading, meaning only players and essential team personnel will be allowed inside.
The scene that followed the Toronto Maple Leafs‘ practice on Monday was reminiscent of a playoff game as players answered reporters’ questions from a podium as opposed to standing in media scrums or conducting one-on-one interviews.
One by one, players were paraded in front of the media, answered a few questions — even a few about coronavirus itself — and then returned to the team’s dressing room.
The NBA has scheduled a conference call with its owners on Wednesday to discuss COVID-19 and the next steps the league may be forced to take to prevent the spread of the virus.
One option that will be on the table for all leagues to consider is whether games should be played in empty arenas and stadiums and if moving games to neutral sites — where the virus isn’t as prevalent — is conceivable.
It is viewed as a worst-case scenario, but in reality, it’s probably just a matter of time before one or both of those options are put into use.
The coronavirus has been blamed for the cancellation of the IIHF Women’s World Hockey Championship in Nova Scotia as well as the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells, Calif., and has forced numerous soccer games in Europe to be played in empty stadiums.
North America’s major professional sports leagues are planning to pull out all the stops as they try to do their best to stay one step ahead of the outbreak, but it remains to be seen if their efforts will be rewarded.