LHM CEO Steve Starks Addresses Utah Jazz Coronavirus Exposure

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah Jazz players, with the exception of two that have tested positive for coronavirus are en route back to Utah according to Larry H. Miller Group CEO Steve Starks. Starks by Governor Gary Herbert, Lieutenant Governor Spencer Cox, and Utah Jazz team owner Gail Miller at a press conference to update Utahans on future protocols regarding the coronavirus.

Jazz center Rudy Gobert had a preliminary positive test Wednesday night before the Jazz were set to play the Oklahoma City Thunder leading to a last-minute postponement of the event. Within the hour, the entire NBA season had been postponed.

Early Wednesday morning, it was reported that Donovan Mitchell was the other Jazz player to contract the virus.

BREAKING: @spidadmitchell has tested positive for COVID-19, according to ESPN reports.https://t.co/D2nKk20i4G

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 12, 2020

“This is an unprecedented time, and the situation is fluid and fast-moving,” Starks said, “Our top priority and of paramount importance is the safety and well being of our Jazz players, their families, our employees, and the media who cover our team, and certainly our fans and the many guests that come to our venues.”

The Jazz were quarantined together in the Oklahoma City Thunder visitors locker room while the players, team employers, and some media members were tested for COVID-19.

According to Cox, only two Jazz players tested positive.

“All players, several staff, and media members were tested,” Cox said, “And a second player also tested positive. The Department of Health is working with the Utah Jazz to contact all of those who had contact with the infected player in the recent past.”

Jazz players now traveling back to Utah will be required to follow public health protocols according to Starks as a result of their potential exposure to the virus, regardless of their negative tests.

“We have 5 residents who have tested positive including the @utahjazz players who have tested positive." – @SpencerJCox#COVID19 #Coronavirus

— KSL Sports (@kslsports) March 12, 2020

Meanwhile, the NBA has postponed the season and doesn’t appear to be nearing a return. Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports is reporting that the league will re-evaluate its suspension in 30 days.

Though Gobert and Mitchell spent time in both Vivint Smart Home Arena and the Zions Bank Basketball Campus while potentially infected with the virus, Larry H. Miller employees are not being directed to self quarantine “unless they were in direct contact with the affected players or are experiences symptoms associated with COVID-19.”

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How Do I Prevent It?

The CDC has some simple recommendations, most of which are the same for preventing other respiratory illnesses or the flu:

• Avoid close contact with people who may be sick
• Avoid touching your face
• Stay home when you are sick
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue and then throw the tissue in the trash
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing. Always wash your hands with soap and water if your hands are visibly dirty.
• If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol.

The CDC does not recommend wearing a facemask respirator to protect yourself from coronavirus unless a healthcare professional recommends it.