Professional sports leagues are taking precautions as concerns over the coronavirus outbreak continue to grow.
The NHL reportedly wants to close locker room access to media, while the NBA toyed with the idea of playing in an empty arena — something LeBron James is 100 percent against. Soccer star Cristiano Rinaldo played in his 1,000th career game in front of zero fans, while the Boston Red Sox want to reduce the amount of high-fives given.
And now we have some answers about what NHL, MLB, MLS and NBA are going to do.
The four leagues issued a joint statement Monday night saying they will close the locker rooms and clubhouses to those who are not essential staff.
“Given the issues that can be associated with close contact in pre- and post-game settings, all team locker rooms and clubhouses will be open only to players and essential employees of teams and team facilities until further notice,” part of the statement read, via ESPN. “Media access will be maintained in designated locations outside of the locker room and clubhouse setting.”
The statement added the changes are “temporary” and the leagues will “continue to closely monitor the situation.”
