The Houston Rockets were among the first NBA teams to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 entering the 2021-22 season, and they are now one of the first known teams to have 100% coverage among players for the recommended coronavirus vaccine booster shots.
Beginning Dec. 17, players around the league who have not received a booster dose will be subject to COVID-19 testing on gamedays, even if they were previously considered to be fully vaccinated. This would add burdensome logistical requirements and could potentially lead to a player being more likely to miss games, depending on the result.
However, the Rockets won’t be subject to those new protocols. The news of the team’s players being fully boostered was first reported by Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle and confirmed by head coach Stephen Silas at Monday’s gameday shootaround in Atlanta.
“Everybody’s done,” Silas said on Monday, Dec. 13, as relayed by Feigen. “It’s good. There’s all these cases (and) we’re definitely conscious of what’s going on around the league, for sure.”
The Chicago Bulls have had their next two games postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak among Tier 1 players and staffers.
Sources: Beginning Dec. 17, NBA players who have not received booster COVID-19 dose will be subject to game day testing. Also on Dec. 17, team personnel who have yet to receive booster are no longer permitted to interact with players, travel with team or continue as Tier 1.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 4, 2021
As NBA deals with COVID issues, all Rockets players have had booster shots https://t.co/3RKfh0VdOj via @houstonchron
— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) December 13, 2021
