Gobert, all Jazz players and staff clear of coronavirus

NEW YORK, USA – Rudy Gobert, the first NBA player to test positive for coronavirus, and all Utah Jazz players and staff have been cleared of coronavirus by the Utah Department of Health, the club announced Friday, March 27.

It was Frenchman Gobert testing positive for COVID-19 just before a game on March 11 at Oklahoma City that prompted the NBA to shut down the season, with his teammate Donovan Mitchell also testing positive.

Players and staff members completed a 14-day isolation and quarantine period and no longer pose a risk of infection to others, according to the state health department. (READ: Gobert apologizes for ’embarrassing, inexcusable’ virus gaffe)

Clearance typically involves two negative tests for coronavirus that are taken at least 24 hours apart.

Jazz players had been in quarantine or isolation since March 11, staying in touch through video chat links. (READ: Jazz star Gobert details coronavirus effects)

Jazz players and staff will continue to practice distancing and limit time outside of their homes to essential activities, following guidelines from the NBA and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Jazz news comes a day after Detroit’s Christian Wood became the first publicly known NBA player to be cleared after testing positive for coronavirus on March 15.

Wood, the third NBA player to test positive after Gobert and Mitchell, had been matched against Gobert in a game against the Jazz just before the Frenchman’s positive test.

A total of 14 players and personnel tested positive for the virus, including league star Kevin Durant. – Rappler.com