SEC announces coronavirus safety measures for SEC Tournament

The SEC Tournament begins in two days, meaning thousands of basketball fans from Kentucky across the South are about to descend upon Nashville. With four cases of COVID-19, aka coronavirus, now confirmed in the state of Tennessee, two in Nashville, the SEC announced today the tournament is expected to go on as planned, with special health precautions in place to make it as safe as possible for everyone involved.

Here is the entire release:

The SEC continues to monitor developments associated with the coronavirus (COVID-19) and has not modified the schedule of events related to our men’s basketball tournament in Nashville. At this time our focus and expectation is to play the tournament as scheduled. Local authorities have confirmed this approach is consistent with current public health recommendations. We remain alert to any circumstances that could warrant adjustments for the health and well-being of our student-athletes, fans and other participants. We are in continued communication with public health officials and remind everyone to be attentive to everyday preventive actions identified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (www.cdc.gov).

At this time, the SEC plans to implement the following health precautions at Bridgestone Arena, most of which were also applied during the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville last week. Similar preventive measures will be taken at the SEC Gymnastics Championship March 21 in Duluth, Georgia:

• • Additional hand sanitizers will be present at arena entrances and throughout concourse and in meeting rooms;
  • Use of hospital grade disinfectant to sanitize locker rooms before teams arrive and upon departure;
  • Sanitization of game balls with hospital grade disinfectant after each practice and game;
  • Sanitization of team benches plus band and cheerleader seating areas following each game;
  • Hand sanitizers, disinfectant wipes and Lysol spray in team locker rooms;
  • Hand sanitizers at scorer’s table, in officials’ locker rooms and operations offices;
  • Signage throughout concourse to provide CDC preventive action recommendations

Something tells me this won’t make Ryan Lemond feel any better.