The NBA sent a memo to teams this week with a list of recommendations, including avoiding high-fives with fans and touching items for autographs, as the coronavirus outbreak spreads to the United States.
The league's memo, according to ESPN, is intended as a guide for "short-term" recommendations. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified the first case of coronavirus with no known origin last week.
In the memo, according to ESPN, the league called coronavirus "a situation with the potential to change rapidly."
The NBA provided this statement to the Associated Press over the weekend:
The health and safety of our employees, teams, players and fans is paramount. We are coordinating with our teams and consulting with the CDC and infectious disease specialists on the coronavirus and continue to monitor the situation closely.
The NBA Players Association has been communicating with the CDC, according to ESPN, for consultation on the situation.
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Multiple cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in California, where the Sixers are currently traveling during a West Coast road trip, as well as Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Nebraska, Texas, Illinois, Florida, Wisconsin, New York, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island, according to NPR.
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