Friday was a bad day for sports and the coronavirus, to put it mildly.
The Philadelphia Phillies shut down their spring training facility in Clearwater, Florida, after five players and three staff members tested positive for COVID-19. The Toronto Blue Jays did the same with their facility in nearby Dunedin after a player, who reportedly spent time with Phillies minor leaguers recently, exhibited symptoms of COVID-19.
Elsewhere in Florida, the Tampa Bay Lightning closed its practice rink down after three players and some staff members tested positive for the virus.
And the PGA Tour announced that golfer Nick Watney tested positive for COVID-19 Friday while at the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Watney withdrew from the tournament and began quarantine.
Sports leagues and organizations continue to make plans to return after competitions were suspended March 11 and 12 when the pandemic was getting worse in the U.S. Some, such as the PGA Tour and NASCAR, resumed play in recent weeks.
The NBA, WNBA and Major League Soccer plan to begin or resume their seasons in Central Florida, where Friday’s cases were located. The WNBA announced plans to play its 2020 season at IMG Academy in Bradenton, near Tampa. The NBA and MLS will make Walt Disney World in nearby Orlando their “bubble” in the coming weeks.
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