This Already Isn’t Going Well: Phillies & Blue Jays Shut Down Camps Amid Coronavirus Outbreaks

You might be noticing a trend in sports stories over the last few days. If not, just look through the recent coverage on Sideaction. This one hits the MLB’s Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays.

In a breaking story, as first reported by NBC Sports Philadelphia, the Phillies have confirmed that they are dealing with an outbreak of COVID-19 in camp. A whopping five players and three staff members have already tested positive, with the first results landing this past Tuesday. An additional eight staff members tested negative, while the bulk of the team — 20 players and 12 staffers — is still awaiting results.

The #Phillies issue a statement, following @JSalisburyNBCS report about COVID-19 outbreak at team facilities in Clearwater. pic.twitter.com/tGKl9FcG7P

— Todd Zolecki (@ToddZolecki) June 19, 2020

In response, the Phillies have suspended training and closed all team facilities in Clearwater, Fla. None of the infected player’s names have been released, but the NBC Sports story notes that several of the team’s veterans remained in Clearwater and around team facilities during the state’s way-too-brief lockdown.

The Toronto Blue Jays have also announced that they are potentially dealing with a coronavirus outbreak, and are closing their team facilities in nearby Dunedin, Fla, after a player who had spent time with some of the Phillies began exhibiting symptoms. Testing is still pending and further details will surely emerge.

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This is not going well. The Phillies and Blue Jays are not going to be the last of these stories. More and more we’re seeing clear evidence that the country was far too quick to re-open. Everyone waited two months inside and then decided it was over because they were bored and done with everything on Netflix. Comparing this to successful league launches in countries that handled things like adults who believe in science is completely disingenuous, the situations are nowhere near the same. Calling this a second wave is similarly false, the numbers clearly demonstrate that the first wave in the U.S. never ended, and now we have record numbers being set daily in the state where these leagues are trying to play.

Some things are more important than sports. Close things down, it was a nice idea, we could have gotten there if we’d been a bit more patient but now we can’t. It’s yet another on a long list of unfortunate consequences related to half our nation’s population’s idiotic collective refusal to believe in science. Go back home. Wear masks. Wash your hands. We’ll try sports again next year.

In the meantime, there’s always Marble League.

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