NY mayor slams lavish use of virus test for NBA players

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - New York City mayor has slammed the 'lax' use of coronavirus tests for all NBA players, saying there are "critically ill" patients waiting to be tested.

"We wish them a speedy recovery. But, with all due respect, an entire NBA team should NOT get tested for COVID-19 while there are critically ill patients waiting to be tested," Bill de Blasio tweeted on Wednesday.

"Tests should not be for the wealthy, but for the sick," he added.

NBA spokesman Mike Bass, however, defended the process, saying "public health authorities and team doctors have been concerned that, given NBA players' direct contact with each other and close interactions with the general public, in addition to their frequent travel, they could accelerate the spread of the virus."

So far, seven NBA players -- four from Brooklyn Nets -- tested positive for the pandemic.

"Hopefully, by these players choosing to make their test results public, they have drawn attention to the critical need for young people to follow CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] recommendations to protect others, particularly those with underlying health conditions and the elderly," Bass added.

The virus emerged in Wuhan, China, last December, and has since spread to at least 159 countries and territories, according to Johns Hopkins University's Coronavirus Research Center in Maryland. More than 219,000 cases have been confirmed worldwide, with 8,939 deaths.

In the U.S., the death toll from the infection has climbed to 150, with total confirmed cases over 9,400.