Officially, the NBA has two confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection and both are part of the Utah Jazz roster. The shocking announcement of Rudy Gobert contracting the killer bug led to the suspension of the league's ongoing season and another name has been added to the list. Donovan Mitchell has admitted getting the virus Thursday.
The 23-year-old guard took to Instagram to confirm he too tested positive for coronavirus and thanked "everyone who has been reaching out since hearing the news about my positive test."
So far, Mitchell and Gobert are the only NBA personalities known to have been directly affected by the coronavirus outbreak that started in Wuhan, China, according to CBS Sports. The virus has spread quickly and earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) started characterizing COVID-19 as a pandemic.
The NBA said contact tracing efforts have started and the teams that the Jazz played with since March have been advised to go on self-quarantines. The clubs have been identified as the Cleveland Cavaliers, the New York Knicks, the Boston Celtics, the Detroit Pistons, and the Toronto Raptors.
Mitchell said that the next step for him is to follow the guidance of authorities.
He said: "I am going to keep following the advice of our medical staff and hope that we can all come together and be there for each other and our neighbors who need our help."
Mitchell also called on the people to behave responsibly in light of the emergency that has seen governments from around the world taking drastic measures to contain the virus' spread. The U.S. has banned incoming air travel from all of Europe while in Italy, government authorities ordered a lockdown following deaths that already more than 800.
"We are all learning more about the seriousness of this situation and hopefully people can continue to educate themselves and realize that they need to behave responsibly both for their own health and for the well-being of those around them," said the Utah guard.
For his part, Gobert took responsibility for the actions that he admitted may have endangered other people prior to the discovery of his condition. CNN said the Jazz big man was seen last Monday acting playfully by touching microphones and phones as if to prove he cannot be infected.
Gobert apologized for the action he now called "careless" and cannot be excused.
"I hope my story serves as a warning and causes everyone to take this seriously. I will do whatever I can to support using my experience as way to educate others and prevent the spread of this virus," Gobert was reported as saying.
It's still unclear how long the suspension will last but reports said NBA officials will review the situation after 30 days and make a decision on what to do next.
