Los Angeles (AFP)
Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief immunologist for the White House, warned Thursday that the NFL American football season would have a hard time starting as expected in September because of the coronavirus, if not in a "bubble".
"Unless the players are gathered in a bubble, isolated from the population and tested almost every day, it is very difficult to imagine how we could play football this fall," said Mr. Fauci on CNN.
"If there is a second wave of the pandemic, which is obviously a possibility and which would be even more complicated because of the expected flu season, [the football season] may not take place this year", said he insisted.
The basketball (NBA) and football (MLS) leagues, which are preparing for their arrival in July at Disney World in Orlando, have made a difficult choice for the NFL: to resume competition on a single site.
"We don't think it's practical or suitable," said NFL medical director Allen Sills. "Anyone who is positive will remain in quarantine until they are medically authorized to replay."
The league and the players' union are still in talks on the exact details of the protocols that will be put in place, including testing.
The NFL is doing everything it can to "mitigate the health risks to players," said Sills. "Make no mistake, this is not an easy task. We will make the necessary adjustments to meet public health guidelines. We will be flexible to adapt to the virus as it evolves."
While several Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans players have tested positive for Covid-19 in recent days, Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh has expressed dissatisfaction with the safety measures presented by the league to the clubs, saying that they were "humanly impossible" to respect.
The NFL plans to start training camps in July, with preseason games in August and the opening of the regular season on September 10 in Kansas City, between the defending champions Chiefs and the Texans.
© 2020 AFP