Dr. Robby Sikka, former vice president of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves, warns that an increase in sports-related Covid The incidents are a “really bad sign for our country” in the coming weeks.
“The leagues have taken the lead and I think this will lead to more cases as we head into the Christmas break,” Sikka said Tuesday night on CNBC.News with Shepard Smith. “
Despite the vaccination rate being 97%, the NBA has seen an uptick in cases.
On Monday, the Brooklyn Nets put five players on Covid protocols to either test positive or lose. On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Lakers canceled their training session after a player tested positive.
Earlier this month, Lakers’ LeBron James was allowed back in after missing a game in accordance with NBA health and safety protocols. On December 2, the league said James is not active for Covid despite a series of mixed tests earlier that week. James has said that he is vaccinated.
Currently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say 61% of the American population is fully immunized. According to a CNBC analysis of Johns Hopkins University data, the US 7-day average is about 120,000 cases. The omicron variant, first discovered in southern Africa about a month ago, now make up about 3% of cases in the US, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While delta is still mainstream in the US, the CDC says omicrons are spreading fast.
Sikka said the best strategy possible during the holiday season is to combine “layers of protection”, testing, masking and vaccinations. He cited the lack of a national testing strategy as a weakness in the US strategy against Covid.
Incentivizing enhanced shots leading up to the break, “the NBA has seen a large percentage of players boosted,” said Sikka, and that should help keep them in the game.
The NBA isn’t the only sports league aiming for high enhancement rates.
According to a memo As obtained by CNBC, the NFL requires anyone in contact with the player, including coaches and staff, to obtain Covid booster shots by December 27.
– The Associated Press contributed to this report.
