SACRAMENTO, Calif. _ The Kings plan to reopen their Golden 1 Center practice facility for voluntary individual workouts next week with strict protocols in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
The Kings said Thursday the facility will open Monday pursuant to an updated Sacramento County Public Health Order and in accordance with new NBA basketball operations policies and procedures, including social distancing requirements and disinfectant processes. Prior to making the announcement, the Kings reported their plans to the Sacramento County Department of Health Services, said Brenda Bongiorno, a spokesperson for the county.
"This modified practice with individual players will comply with the May 1 Sacramento County Public Health Order by not allowing any gathering," Bongiorno said. "Only one player will be practicing at a time and all equipment will be sanitized before the next player practices."
The Kings said one player will be allowed to practice on each of the four baskets inside the practice facility. No more than four players will be permitted in the 51,000-square-foot training facility at one time and no group activity will occur, including practices or scrimmages, the team said.
The Kings said all players, coaches and staff members will receive temperature screenings before entering the building. Staff will be required to wear face coverings at all times inside the facility and players will be required to do the same except when engaged in physical activity. Each individual training session will be limited to two hours with at least 30 minutes between each session for rigorous sanitation procedures, as outlined by the NBA.
In a news release issued Thursday, the Kings said: "We remain in constant communication with the NBA and public health officials as we continue to monitor the ongoing coronavirus situation and ensure we are adhering to all requirements and recommended practices associated with the resumption of activity at the team's practice facility."
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced this week California is moving into Stage 2 of the state's four-phase plan to ease COVID-19 restrictions, allowing retail, manufacturing and other low-risk businesses to reopen beginning Friday. Reopening NBA training facilities did not appear to be a part of Phase 2 in the state plan, but some counties are choosing to ease restrictions sooner based on local conditions. A recent Sacramento Bee analysis revealed the Sacramento region has the lowest reported coronavirus infection rate among the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the United States.
The Kings said none of their players have exhibited COVID-19 symptoms and team medical personnel continue to check in with players each day to confirm they are not experiencing symptoms.
The NBA suspended its season March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19. The Kings closed their practice facility and suspended all basketball activities after Sacramento County public health officials issued a stay-at-home order March 17.
Dr. Peter Beilenson, director of health services in Sacramento County, issued a new directive May 1, extending the stay-at-home order until May 22 but allowing noncontact recreational activities that include the use of shared equipment. The current order stipulates that contact sports or activities, including basketball, football and soccer, are prohibited outside of residences, but individual basketball workouts are considered noncontact activities.
"While there has been some relaxation of rules as they relate to recreational activities, it is absolutely vital that we maintain social distancing," Beilenson said in a news release. "The intent of the order is to ensure that the maximum number of people stay home as much as possible while enabling essential services to continue, and that has been a significant factor in reducing the spread of COVID-19 in Sacramento County. We will continue to look at the health data and the availability of testing, and those factors will inform our decisions about modifying the Public Health Order in the future."
The NBA recently announced it would allow teams to reopen practice facilities for voluntary individual workouts beginning Friday. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers have announced they will reopen Friday. The Houston Rockets delayed their reopening after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said gyms should not reopen until May 18.
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