Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is casting doubt on the upcoming 2020-2021 football season due to the coronavirus pandemic.
During an interview on CNN Thursday, Fauci spoke with Dr. Sanjay Gupta where he insisted that football games may need to consider implementing plans for a “bubble” format or consider canceling the full season.
The top infectious disease expert offered details about the idea of players being “in a bubble.”
“Unless players are essentially in a bubble — insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day — it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall,” Fauci said.
He added, “If there is a second wave, which is certainly a possibility and which would be complicated by the predictable flu season, football may not happen this year.”
See Fauci’s remarks below:
Football may not happen this year, Dr. Anthony Fauci tells @drsanjaygupta.
— CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt (@CNNThisMorning) June 18, 2020
“Unless players are essentially in a bubble – insulated from the community and they are tested nearly every day – it would be very hard to see how football is able to be played this fall.” pic.twitter.com/mDcTRMBucU
Fauci’s remarks come as more than 20 states face spikes in positive coronavirus cases. Multiple states, including California, Florida, Texas, and Arizona have seen spikes with more than 2,000 cases in a single day.
As states continue to reopen, coronavirus cases continue to increase with the country averaging between 20,000 to 25,000 cases per day.
Following Fauci’s remarks, the NFL’s medical expert released a statement. Noting Fauci’s concerns, the league is also revealing details about its preliminary plans for the upcoming season confirming mitigation efforts will be in place.
“Dr. Fauci has identified the important health and safety issues we and the NFL Players Association, together with our joint medical advisors, are addressing to mitigate the health risk to players, coaches and other essential personnel,” the league wrote.
JUST IN: The NFL has responded to Dr. Fauci’s statement this morning that said that football would be hard to play in the fall without a bubble framework. pic.twitter.com/cfjatz1vyh
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 18, 2020
The statement also confirmed that an enhanced testing strategy is also being considered for everyone inside of the league’s “football ecosystem.”
“We are developing a comprehensive and rapid-result testing program and rigorous protocols that call for a shared responsibility from everyone inside our football ecosystem. This is based on the collective guidance of public health officials, including the White House task force, the CDC, infectious disease experts, and other sports leagues.”
As of Friday morning, there are more than 2.2 million confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States as the death toll continues to rise.