Rockets to begin mandatory COVID-19 testing on Tuesday

The initial testing period for players and staff heading to Florida will begin on Tuesday, June 23 in Houston and continue through June 30.

The Houston Rockets and other NBA franchises involved in the league’s 22-team restart plan are only about two weeks away from their expected reporting date to the neutral Disney complex near Orlando.

As such, the NBA’s extensive safety protocols to minimize the risks of a COVID-19 outbreak are about to kick into high gear.

As of Monday, June 22, all NBA players and staff intending to enter the Florida “bubble” site are required to have returned to their team’s home market for mandatory testing. This testing period will begin on Tuesday, June 23, and continue through Tuesday, June 30.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the NBA’s standard for COVID-19 testing consists of a shallow nasal swab and oral swab (PCR test) and a blood draw (serology/antibody test). Quest Diagnostics has been designated as the league’s preferred testing provider.

In the case of any positive results, a second test will be administered to guard against the possibility of a false negative.

If a positive result is confirmed, the person enters a self-quarantine period for at least 14 days, per Tim Bontemps of ESPN. They must then test negative twice before being allowed to rejoin the rest of the team.

Through June 30, players can work out individually at NBA facilities under strict physical distancing protocols and on a voluntary basis, as has been the case since mid-May. On July 1, individual workouts will become mandatory, but group workouts as a team will remain prohibited.

Those conventional group workouts will not take place until after teams arrive in Florida, which is set to take place between July 7 and July 9. Upon arrival, players and team staff must stay isolated in their hotel rooms until they return two negative PCR tests at least 24 hours apart.

Should a Rockets player test positive this week, they would potentially have time to recover and still join the rest of the team by the time of its chartered July flight to Florida. However, they could also travel on their own and join the team at the complex at a later date — though they would still be subject to the initial 48-hour isolation protocol upon entering.

Once cleared, regular team practices will occur through July 21. Then, beginning July 22, each team will play three scrimmages against other teams staying at their same hotel. On July 30 — over four-and-a-half months after the 2019-20 season was suspended due to COVID-19 — regular-season play is scheduled to resume. Each team in Florida will then play eight games before the 2020 NBA playoffs begin in mid-August.

Any players choosing not to participate in the restart are required to give formal notice by Wednesday, June 24. Players who choose not to play will not be paid for games missed, but they will not be considered in breach of contract or face any disciplinary measures for not reporting.

To this point, there has not been any indication that a Houston Rockets player is considering that option.

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