Ever since COVID-19 hit U.S. shores and lockdowns began, many Americans have been desperate for “normalcy” to return. And what’s more normal than a steady stream of sports to enjoy? Should sports come back this year, many will see their return as an indicator that life is, in fact, going on. Others—myself included—are simply desperate for the escape that nine innings of baseball or three periods of hockey can provide.
Most of the major U.S. sports leagues are mounting a comeback. The NBA, which was midway through the season in March when Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive and sent the league into a chaotic intermission, could be the first to resume games; it’s planning on turning Disney World into a Bio-Dome-esque bubble for players. The NHL, also left on ice mid-season, could follow. We could even still get baseball this year, too, provided owners see past their own greed and pay players what they deserve—but the window for any meaningful season is closing quickly.
But before you grab your jersey, crack open a beer and plant yourself firmly on the couch for a summertime double-header, consider this unpleasant yet unavoidable fact: Resuming play before there’s a vaccine puts players, coaches, support staff and so on at risk of contracting COVID-19. Dozens of MLB and NHL players and staff have already tested positive for the virus, despite new health measures both leagues have implemented. Many college football players have also tested positive. Outside the U.S., an exhibition tennis tournament in Croatia featuring Novak Djokovic was canceled after one of the other participants tested positive. And while some international sports leagues have resumed play—I’m ashamed to admit how much Korean baseball I’ve watched recently—that’s much safer to do in countries where the government response has been effective rather than embarrassing.
Should players put their lives at risk for our entertainment, and for the bottom lines of their clubs and leagues? I don’t think so—even if that means missing out on a paycheck, a year of playing in their prime, or the glory of a championship victory. Don’t get me wrong: I desperately want to see my New York Rangers, who had a real shot at an underdog Stanley Cup run this year, get their chance. But I keep thinking: What happens if games start and players get sick, or worse? How could we live with ourselves as sports fans for encouraging anything that puts our favorite athletes in harm’s way? (More than the games they play already do, I guess.)
At least some pros feel the same way. “A lot of friends that I have and a lot of people that I’ve talked to that are going to be playing, they still don’t have their equipment, they still haven’t skated, they’re still very skeptical,” former NHLer-turned-analyst Kevin Bieksa told Canada’s Sportsnet. You can’t blame players for deciding the risk to their health just isn’t worth it. And even if American sports leagues resume play, a few cases might be enough to shut everything down again. So why bother? For now, there’s always Netflix. I recommend the 2004 film about the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, Miracle—because that’s just what we’d need for pro sports to be safe any time soon.
TODAY'S CORONAVIRUS OUTLOOK
The Global Situation
More than 8.9 million people around the world had been sickened by COVID-19 as of 11 PM eastern time yesterday, and more than 468,000 people had died.
Here is every country with over 100,000 confirmed cases:
Germany is dealing with an unexpected spike in coronavirus cases linked to an outbreak at a single meat processing plant. More than 1,300 employees at the North Rhine-Westphalia plant have tested positive, CBS News reports. Germany has reported nearly 200,000 total cases and nearly 9,000 deaths since the outbreak began. Similar plants, where social distancing is next to impossible, have been the center of local outbreaks elsewhere in the world, including in the U.S.
Global demand for a cheap and commonly available steroid is skyrocketing after a study showed that it could improve outcomes for some seriously ill COVID-19 patients. “Demand has already surged, following the U.K. trial results showing dexamethasone's clear benefit,” World Health Organization Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in remarks today. However, he added, numerous companies make the drug and he’s confident that they can “accelerate production.”
The coronavirus is raging largely unchecked in Brazil, where health authorities reported an average of more than 1,000 deaths a day between June 15 and June 21, CNN reports. The actual figure could be higher, as the country’s limited testing makes it difficult to get an accurate count of cases. Critics say the country’s president, Jair Bolsonaro, is largely ignoring the depth of the crisis.
The Situation in the U.S.
More than 2.2 million people in the U.S. had been infected with COVID-19 as of 11 PM eastern time yesterday, and nearly 120,000 had died.
On June 21, there were 24,760 new cases and 250 new deaths confirmed in the U.S.
Florida, among the states shaping up to be the next major hotspots in the U.S., has surpassed 100,000 cases, according to the state’s Department of Health. While the state has been ramping up testing, the percentage of tests returning a positive result is also increasing, suggesting that the virus is indeed spreading at an alarming rate.
New York City’s army of white-collar workers are allowed back to their offices today, as part of the city’s Phase 2 reopening stage. But many workers are staying home, the New York Timesreports, as they weigh the health risks against the benefits of a centralized workplace. (Here at TIME, headquartered in midtown Manhattan, we’re largely working remotely for the foreseeable future.)
Anchors will remain dropped at Carnival Cruise Line, which today announced that it’s cancelling all trips through September 30. Carnival’s pause goes several weeks beyond a suspension that was previously announced by Cruise Lines International Association, an industry trade group. “During this unprecedented pause in our business, we have continued to assess the operating environment and confer with public health, government and industry officials,” Carnival president Christine Duffy said in a statement.
All numbers unless otherwise specified are from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering, and are accurate as of June 21, 11 PM eastern time. To see larger, interactive versions of these maps and charts, click here.
WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
The Difficulty of Counting the Pandemic’s Full Death Toll
The pandemic has “left an untold number dying in the shadows, not directly because of the virus but still because of it,” reads this story from Kaiser Health News exploring the difficulty in counting those who aren’t officially COVID-19 victims, but may still be alive if it weren’t for the outbreak. Read more here.
More Young People Are Testing Positive Across the South
While the elderly were the primary cause of concern in the early days of the outbreak, states across the American South are seeing an alarming increase in the number of younger people infected with the disease, CNN reports. Officials have attributed the trend to people in their 20s and 30s disregarding best practices and going to parties and bars where they spread and contract the illness. Read more here.
WHO Director Warns World Leaders Not to 'Politicize' Coronavirus
The WHO’s Tedros is cautioning global leaders from using the outbreak to their political advantage, the Associated Press reports. “The greatest threat we face now is not the virus itself, it’s the lack of global solidarity and global leadership,” he said, in comments that come after U.S. President Donald Trump’s criticism last Friday of the WHO and its response to the coronavirus. “We cannot defeat this pandemic with a divided world.” Read more here.
As Coronavirus Cases Rise in Arizona, New Mask Rules Spark a Fight
Local officials in Arizona, where cases are rising rapidly, are now allowed to set their own rules mandating that people wear masks in certain situations. While some Arizonans have welcomed the change as wise for public health, others say the requirements are infringing on their rights, the Wall Street Journal reports. Read more here.
Thanks for reading. We hope you find the Coronavirus Brief newsletter to be a helpful tool to navigate this very complex situation, and welcome feedback at coronavirus.brief@time.com.
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Today's newsletter was written by Alex Fitzpatrick and edited by Elijah Wolfson.
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