As the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines widens across the country, the NBA will be able to slowly return to normal if players choose to be vaccinated. A small step toward the normal arrangement was reached Saturday as several members of the New Orleans Pelicans organization, including some players, received their first dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to Andrew Lopez of ESPN.
The Pelicans were able to receive their vaccination through a partnership with a local hospital, and in accordance with the Louisiana Vaccination Plan. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday expanded the suitability, which now allows anyone over the age of 16 with a health condition to receive the vaccine. Some of the health conditions include anyone who has a body mass index of over 25 – which applies to some NBA players – those who have asthma, hypertension and type 1 diabetes.
In a statement, the Pelicans discussed their plan to continue raising awareness about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine:
‘On March 9, the state of Louisiana extended the admission to COVID-19 vaccines to people aged 18 or older (16 years or older for the Pfizer vaccine) who meet certain health criteria that may result in a higher risk of disease have. Yesterday, individuals in the New Orleans Pelicans organization who meet the requirements of the state health department received the vaccine.
The Pelicans support the important efforts of the state to encourage everyone to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as large-scale vaccination of our community is the best way to keep everyone safe and end the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Pelicans and Ochsner Health will continue to work together to create PSAs and educational programming to raise awareness about the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine and to highlight the power of large-scale vaccination in an effort to To end COVID-19 pandemic. “
While the majority of players on the Pelicans who were eligible to get their first shot did not have every player per Lopez. Guard Sindarius Thornwell was the first player to publicly admit that he got the vaccine after posting it on Twitter the night before.
As state and local guidelines begin to enable more people to receive the vaccine, more players and team members across the league will be able to be vaccinated. The league has tried to promote the vaccine positively among players who have pronounced it hesitation.
At his press conference in the run-up to the All-Star Game, Commissioner Adam Silver mentioned that the league should not make it a requirement for every player to be vaccinated. Those who do choose to be vaccinated can avoid quarantine if someone in the team is positive.