Ehe players’ union and the NBA maintain negotiations on the new sanitary protocols for the start of the 2021-22 season and there is already an agreement that it will not be mandatory for players to have to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The union had refused to accept that players were required to be vaccinated, while officials and most NBA personnel were required to do so.
The NBA has strict rules for unvaccinated players after about 85% of them are, a league spokesman recently said.
In a preliminary memorandum accessed by ESPN in early September, the league outlined a set of strict protocols for unvaccinated players.
Such protocols include keeping lockers away from vaccinated teammates or having to eat, fly, and ride buses in different sections. These protocols are not final and are still subject to discussion with the union.
The NBA informed teams in early September that new laws will apply in both New York and San Francisco regarding vaccine requirements for members of the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and Golden State Warriors, including their players. , unless there is an approved medical or religious exemption, as stated in the same memorandum.
Late last month, the NBA informed teams that staff who work within four meters of players or officials during games must be fully vaccinated by October 1.
The country’s health authorities report that the level of contagion and transmission of COVID-19 remains high despite the fact that there is already 76 percent of the population that is fully vaccinated.
