NBA to reopen practice facilities no earlier than May 8

ANKARA

The US National Basketball Association (NBA) announced Monday that it will not allow training facilities to reopen until May 8 at the earliest in an effort to give extra time to franchises to establish safe training options amid the coronavirus crisis.

''The NBA informed its teams today that, as numerous state and local governments have announced modifications of stay-at-home orders and other restrictions on non-essential business activity beginning this week, the league is planning to modify its guidance regarding the use of team practice facilities and player training,” it said in a statement.

“The purpose of these changes is to allow for safe and controlled environments for players to train in states that allow them to do so and to create a process for identifying safe training options for players located in other states.

''The league advised teams that it is targeting no earlier than Friday, May 8, as the commencement date for the new rules and that it may push this timing back if developments warrant,'' it added.

Each franchise will hire a hygiene officer, NBA insider Shams Charania said on Twitter.

''The NBA has informed each team to assign one senior executive to this position -- Facility Hygiene Officer,'' Charania tweeted.

The death toll in the US from the novel coronavirus has surpassed 56,000, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

The Maryland-based university's running tally also counted 987,022 cases and 110,642 recoveries.