COVID-19 cases have spiked in Florida and sports teams were impacted Friday.
The Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Lightning closed their facilities due to staff members and players contracting the virus. And with the NHL preparing for Phase 3 on July 10, that’s certainly not positive news.
The Lightning released a statement regarding the matter, noting “three players and additional staff members have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.” The players are self-isolating and are asymptomatic, save for a low-grade fever.
“The Lightning continue testing and are strictly following all NHL and government procedures as part of the league’s Phase 2 guidelines,” the statement read. “Upon receiving positive tests yesterday, team training facilities were immediately closed with all players and staff being sent home. Those facilities will remain temporarily shut down until we can ensure a safe environment.”
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 19, 2020
There’s no timeline when Tampa Bay will reopen its facilities.
Florida’s restrictions regarding coronavirus guidelines have been extremely loose, and cases of the virus continue to climb.
The sports world has been on hold since March. And while the NHL never pinpointed a start date for the 2019-20 Stanley Cup playoffs, this recent outbreak may delay Phase 3, which ultimately would delay the start of the postseason.
