Post
by vnatale » Sun May 17, 2020 12:19 am
Here is Baseball's response...
Vinny
Exclusive: MLB proposes medical protocols to players in 67-page document
By Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich 3m ago
No exchanges of lineup cards. New baseballs any time a ball is put in play and touched by multiple players. Players wearing masks except while on the field, standing six feet apart during the singing of the national anthem and God Bless America, sitting six feet apart in the dugout and, if necessary, even in the stands.
These are just some of the proposed protocols in a 67-page document concerning health and safety that Major League Baseball delivered to the Major League Baseball Players Association on Saturday. The union must agree to the procedures outlined in the document, making them subject to change.
The operations manual for the abbreviated 2020 season, a copy of which was obtained by The Athletic, covers medical and testing protocols for COVID-19, spring training, facility protocols, on-field operations, league operations and transactions, travel and player and staff education.
Among the highlights in each section:
TESTING
*Regular testing for all players, managers, coaches and umpires, plus a limited number of essential staff who come into close proximity with players.
*MLB will monitor developments in testing and attempt to use the least invasive and fastest methods that are commercially available without adversely impacting public health needs.
*The vast majority of tests will be run on saliva collections, though oral or nasal swabs might be used at times. Blood samples will be taken less frequently for antibody testing.
*All players must undergo “Intake Screening” upon arriving at spring training. The screening will take place at multiple locations and at staggered times. It will consist of a temperature check with a contactless thermometer and body fluid and blood samples.
*Individuals who are tested must self-quarantine at his or her spring-training residency until the results of the testing are reported, likely within 24 to 48 hours. Any individual who tests positive is instructed to self-quarantine and gets treated accordingly.
*Asymptomatic individuals are monitored daily through symptom screens, temperature checks and “frequent testing,” with results taking approximately 24 hours to report.
*An individual with a temperature above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, other symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or close contact with a confirmed case is subject to immediate rapid diagnostic test at location close to the club facility.
*Each club must maintain a dedicated testing area in its spring training site and MLB ballpark, and a dedicated isolation area where an individual who develops symptoms or learns of positive result can isolate pending relocation to home or medical facility.
*Free diagnostic and antibody testing is available to individuals who live in the same household and healthcare workers or other first responders in the clubs’ home cities as a public service.
*Each individual will conduct daily home screenings that include a personal temperature check each morning. Clubs will provide thermometers.
*Before entering a club facility, individuals will get their temperatures checked and complete a short symptom and exposure questionnaire.
*Any individual who reports COVID-19 symptoms or a temperature above 100 during a home screening may not enter club facility, and instead must immediately self-isolate and be directed to team physician.
*Each club must develop procedures for isolating, transporting, testing and treating individuals who display potential symptoms.
*Clubs must take the following steps to minimize potential transmission:
�Identify all players and other employees who have had close contact and closely monitor them.
�Team physician may deetermine some or all of those should get tested.
�IImmediate cleaning and disinfecting of all club-controlled areas
�Reinforce importance of hygiene.
*Individuals who test positive must self-isolate, with daily communication and remote care from the club medical staff, including follow-up testing.
*The club must conduct contact tracing, clean and disinfect locations where the individual was and confidentially notify public health authorities.
SPRING TRAINING
*Limited to 50 players per club.
*Workouts staggered throughout the day to avoid overcrowding. When feasible, clubs should consider the use of another facility such as a nearby college or minor-league stadium to conduct workouts or games on a split-squad basis.
*Reporting dates staggered, with camp divided into three phases.
�Indivvidual and small group workouts consisting exclusively of pitchers and catchers. Divided into groups of five players or fewer and assigned different times and areas of complex.
�Larger groups permitted. Still staggered timmes throughout the day.
�Limited number of games.
*To address heat concerns, spring-training games in Florida and Arizona would begin between 7 and 9 pm local time.
*Four-man umpiring crews would be used with the possibility of adding a fifth and using multiple plate umps when temperatures reach certain levels.
FACILITY PROTOCOLS
*Facilities will be restricted to limited groups of essential personnel:
�Players and other on-fieldd personnel.
�Other essential personnel who need cllose proximity to on-field personnel. This group includes clubhouse staff, ownership representatives, front-office employees, public-relations staff and translators.
�Individuals who perform essential event services but do not require close contact with players and other on-field personnel. This group includes cleaning service providers, broadcast personnel, groundskeepers, transportation providers � up to 150 at any given time.<
�Laww enforcement, EMTs and ambulance drivers, and government officials.
*Minimum standards will be maintained for cleaning and disinfecting. Processes will be in place for safely distributing meals, dietary supplements and medicine.
*Communal water and sports drink coolers/jugs are prohibited. Only personal water or individually prepared sports drink bottles or contactless water dispensers with disposable cups or should be used.
*No spitting, using smokeless tobacco and sunflower seeds in restricted areas.
*Increased availability of hand washing and hand-sanitizing stations, preferably with contactless dispensers.
*Players and other on-field personnel should wash or sanitize their hands after each half-inning or the handling of equipment.
*Where possible, clubs will make efforts to reduce density of individuals, discourage gatherings and promote physical distancing.
*Meetings will take place virtually when possible. If they take place in-person, they should preferably be outdoors with participants sitting apart from each other and wearing face coverings when possible.
*Lockers should be six feet apart. If not possible, clubs should erect temporary clubhouse or locker facilities in unused stadium space, preferably outdoors or in areas with increased ventilation.
*Showering will be discouraged at club facilities.
*The use of indoor batting cages is discouraged when hitting outdoors is an option. Hitters are encouraged to use batting gloves, and batting-practice pitchers are encouraged to wear masks.
*Pitchers will use a personal set of baseballs during bullpens, and separate balls to demonstrate pitching grips or mechanics.
*Only necessary players will be in dugouts. Inactive players may sit in auxiliary seating areas, including adjacent in-stadium seating to maximize physical distancing.
*Dugout phones will be disinfected after each use.
*Group dining is discouraged. Buffet and communal food spreads are prohibited. Meals must be distributed in individually packaged containers or bags, in takeout form.
*Uses of saunas, steam rooms, hydrotherapy pools and cryotherapy chambers are prohibited.
ON-FIELD OPERATIONS
*Rules changes for the 2020 season are pending.
*Rather than an exchange of lineup cards, lineups will be inputted into an application.
*When the ball is out of play or in between pitches, fielders are encouraged to retreat several steps away from the baserunner.
*Catchers are permitted to step on the grass toward the mound to give signs if he needs to stand to relay signs to infielders.
*Non-playing personnel must wear masks at all times in dugout.
*Spitting is prohibited.
TRAVEL
*Teams should control their environments as much as possible. Public transportation and individual private transportation � rideshare services like Lyft and Uber � is discouraged.
*Whenever possible, teams are to fly into smaller airports. The league’s desire is for airlines to assign fixed airline crews rather than rotate crews in and out.
*While players will not be officially quarantined, members of the traveling party are not to leave the hotel unless they receive advance approval from team personnel. The only people permitted to visit players’ rooms are immediate family members. Socializing with other family members or friends is discouraged, but not entirely prohibited.
*On the road, the players should essentially isolate at hotels, with precautions such as a prohibition on buffet-style meals in place. Luggage will be sent directly to players’ rooms to avoid extra touchpoints, and players will not need to return a key or visit the front desk upon check out. Meal money should be delivered to players in a form other than cash.
*At teams’ home cities and in spring-training cities, players can stay at their desired locations, so long as they follow best practices such as avoiding public areas.
MLB plans to develop a COVID-19 education program that all team employees will need to complete before returning to work. Players and umpires are to go through the program as well.
Above provided by: Vinny, who always says: "I only regret that I have but one lap to give to my cats." AND "I'm a more-is-more person."