Low confirmed COVID-19 tests prove NBA’s Orlando bubble is actually working

The NBA’s bubble protocol is working thus far.

The NBA was the first professional sports league in the United States to unveil their plan to resume the season during the coronavirus pandemic. While the idea to house 22 NBA teams at Walt Disney World was viewed as a wise decision initially, skepticism rose to unreal heights recently due to concerning spikes of new COVID-19 cases in the state of Florida.

Critics of the plan are a bit quiet on Monday afternoon. The league announced that out of the 322 players tested for the coronavirus in the Orlando bubble, only two tested positive as of July 7. Those two players have been removed from the bubble and either returned home or placed themselves in isolation housing.

The Disney bubble is working for the NBA.

This is a positive update for the NBA, as they hope they’ll be able to conclude the season by October. The NBA pinpointed those two individuals before they were able to interact with their teammates, coaching staff and colleagues to ensure there would be no outbreak from the onset.

If you needed any further proof of the NBA taking this seriously, look no further than what they did with Sacramento Kings center Richaun Holmes. After stepping outside the campus line to pick up food delivery, the league placed him in a mandatory 10-day quarantine. The same goes for Bruno Caboclo of the Houston Rockets, who broke the initial quarantine and is now in another 10-day quarantine (eight days remaining).

Furthermore, the league set up COVID-19 testing prior to reporting to the bubble. As of July 1, in-market tests revealed 19 players tested positive for the virus. Those athletes will remain at home until they are cleared under CDC guidelines and league rules for leaving isolation. Once that happens, they’ll be able to report to the bubble for the resumption of the season.

This latest should ease the mind of all hoops fans. Commissioner Adam Silver put forth this plan in the bubble, and so far, it’s worked. If this trend of low numbers continues, then the NBA should be able to finish the 2019-20 season.