Atlanta Hawks: The NBA announces updated COVID-19 protocols

The Atlanta Hawks are about to go on a road trip and must comply with new NBA protocols in regards to COVID-19

The Atlanta Hawks are about to leave on a West coast road trip and they must abide by the new COVID-19 health and safety protocols as reported by Woj of ESPN. These protocols are designed to minimize the risk of players contracting and potentially spreading the virus.

Among the protocols announced, players are no longer able to interact with non-team guests in hotels. They had been previously allowed to have guests in their rooms but the NBA has deemed this practice too risky for the safety of the players in the league.

The NBA has also restricted the movement of players on road trips. They no longer have a list of approved restaurants where teams can dine. Players and team officials can not leave the hotel on road trips except for team activities and emergencies.

The Atlanta Hawks have to do things differently at home as well.

More from Soaring Down South

• Start, Bench, Cut: Sorting through the Hawks’ power forward options
• Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic reacts to earning FIBA World Cup championship bid
• When does training camp start for the Atlanta Hawks?
• Grade the trade: Hawks deal Trae Young to Clippers in shocking proposal
• Dejounte Murray rips NBA 2K after Atlanta Hawks ratings reveal

At home, players and team members are not to leave their homes except for team-related activities, extraordinary circumstances, or to perform essential activities. On top of this, any person who visits a team member at home regularly must undergo COVID testing twice per week.

Inside the arena, all pregame meetings are to be limited to ten minutes and all players and staff must wear a face mask. Any other meetings must be on the court or in a space that allows for at least six feet of social distancing.

As for in-game, all players must wear masks at all times except when playing or in a cool-down area where there will be chairs at least 12 feet from the bench, spaced six feet apart. When they return to the bench, they must be masked even after being on the court.

It will be interesting to see if State Farm Arena will have patrons back at the end of the month as they had hoped. Let us hope that all of these extra measures keep the players and officials safe.