NBA starts not spared

As I write this column, about 13 players were confirmed to have contacted the deadly virus.  The latest addition were Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics, two from Los Angeles Lakers (unnamed) and three from the Philadelphia Sixers who also declined to name them.  Just the other day, Kevin Durant and four teammates from the Brooklyn Nets, tested positive while Detroit’s Christian Woods, also got the virus.  Of course, Utah’s Rudy Gobert was the first to confirm his infection, followed by teammate Donavan Mitchell.  The Denver Nuggets also announced that one member of the organization had tested positive but did not specify whether the person was a player.  Commissioner Adam Silver said NBA players could be “super spreaders” because most of them do not manifest symptoms, or they are what you call “asymptomatic”.  Mitchell said he doesn’t even feel sick and continues to feel great.

Show must go on 

Japan has not given up the hosting of this year’s Tokyo Olympics, although there are doubts amid the coronavirus pandemic that the Games will be postponed.  There are also calls from countries like the US, Canada and England to move the Games.  Even Japan Olympic Committee member and former Olympic judoka Koari Yamaguchi echoed the same predicament.  Well, it all depends on the final decision of the International Olympic Committee.  I0C president Thomas Bach said the Games is still four months away and  who knows the virus will go away tomorrow.  However, the odds are against the staging of the Games.  The IOC must be thinking of the billions invested in the Olympics but come to think of it, “Unsaon pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo”. While finishing this column, news came in that Canada will not be joining the Olympics.  Australia announced that it is preparing for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

Sleepless in New York 

My brother Jun Uytiepo, a doctor in the North Central Bronx Hospital in New York City, has been assigned to conduct coronavirus testing this week.  As of today more than 250 have died with over 12,000 infected in the Big Apple, which has become the epicenter of the virus in the U.S.  My sister Sonnie Uytiepo Bacaling is a former director for nurses at Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Riverside, Los Angeles. She has been recalled by the hospital to train new nurses.  My niece Kaye Armonio, is also a nurse in Kaiser Permanente in Roseville, Sacramento where a lot of covid patients have been admitted.  May the Lord protect them and the rest of the frontliners.