Professional Baseball Steps Up to the Plate for Disinfection

Sports fans lamenting the nonexistent baseball season will be interested in the latest news. MLB announced over that weekend that it will shut down and disinfect all 30 team’s spring training facilities in Florida and Arizona in preparation to allowing players and staff into the buildings, National Public Radio reports.

If contract issues between players and owners can be resolved, MLB is hopeful spring training can begin as soon as the training facilities are disinfected. All players and staff must test negative for coronavirus before entering the facilities. Then if all goes as planned, the regular baseball season could begin in mid-July. However, 40 MLB players and staff members tested positive for COVID-19 in the past week, so talks on how to get a 2020 season underway drag on.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said MLB should aim for a short schedule and finish the postseason in September to avoid games during the late fall. Florida is one of several states experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases. This surge could have an impact on other sports leagues as well. The NBA and MLS both have plans to reopen in the Orlando, Florida area in July.

NFL teams also are implementing plans to increase the cleaning and disinfection of their facilities. Earlier this month, the NFL Players Association (NFPLA) outlined new cleaning protocols.

Several NFL teams have turned to the Global Biorisk Advisory Council® (GBAC), a division of ISSA, for guidance on cleaning and disinfecting stadiums and other facilities. GBAC offers its GBAC STAR™ accreditation to assist facilities to maintain safe, hygienic conditions that help prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus which is responsible for COVID-19 disease.