In its second week of testing all 546 players in the league, NBA and the NBPA announced in a joint statement on Thursday that eight new players have tested positive for coronavirus. The figure is down significantly from the first week of testing after players returned to their home markets, where 48 of them tested positive for Covid-19, which comprises nearly nine percent of the NBA.

The league’s statement said:

“Of the 541 players tested positive for COVID-19 since Dec. 2, 8 new players returned positive tests during the initial return-to-market testing phase from Nov. 24 – Dec. 1.

Players will be regularly tested for COVID-19. Image Credits: CBS News

Anyone who has returned a confirmed positive test is isolated until they are cleared for leaving isolation under the rules established by the NBA and the Players Association in accordance with CDC guidance.”

The league will face a very real possibility of players and team staff testing positive throughout the course of the season without the presence of a bubble. Health and safety protocols have been put in place to limit the amount of exposure to Covid-19.

A portion of what the league will attempt to do this upcoming season is hand down punishments to teams and players not following the guidelines laid out to them. These include not going to restaurants, bars or public gyms during the entire season, among various other rules.

As the league progresses in its plan to start the regular season on December 22, Covid-19 test results will remain at the forefront of the conversation for the league as it tries to compete safely during a pandemic.