NBA team personnel are expected to submit their personal medical histories for review before the 2019-20 season resumes on July 31.
A panel of physicians reportedly will review the individual risk of serious illness due to any spread of the coronavirus in the NBA’s bubble environment in Orlando.
While the league has not announced whether or not this will prohibit any members from attending the league’s restart, teams reportedly are concerned about the possibility, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe.
The process will start with organizational members submitting their medical history to team doctors before passing it along to a non-team-affiliated physician.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has already suggested that coaches may have limited access with their teams on the bench and in meeting areas as a way to prevent any potential spread of COVID-19.
“When it comes to actual play, we’re not going to want them that close to players in order to protect them,” Silver said during a TNT interview.
The goal is protect older coaches and team personnel from contracting any illnesses, especially the novel coronavirus.
However, since the reviews cannot just be subject to a person’s age, the league is having all team personnel submit medical histories for review.
The concern becomes whether or not those more at risk can be forcibly removed from their position or prohibited from attending the restart altogether.
“You can’t base an adverse employment decision solely on the possibility that someone’s age puts them at higher risk to get sick or have more serious symptoms,” Robert Weisberg, regional attorney at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Miami office said.
The goal of the reviewing of medical history and recommendations will be to allow team personnel to make their own decisions to avoid any legal issues.
By enlisting this method, the NBA and the panel of physicians will be able to recommend whether or not those who are at a higher risk should attend, without any legal issue.
