The UFC is changing its health and safety protocols for dealing with COVID-19 per a report from MMA Junkie. The new protocols will allow athletes and corners that have been fully-vaccinated to no longer to test or quarantine outside of a pre-departure PCR or antigen test.
The new rules will require proof of vaccination and individuals will be reimbursed for any costs incurred for the pre-departure test. Masks will still be required for all individuals regardless of vaccination status.
The new protocol streamlines the Fight Week process while (in a subtle way) promoting athletes to get vaccinated. Mixed martial arts athletes have had various opinions on obtaining the vaccine with most foregoing the free vaccines that would stave off the Coronavirus.
Still, unvaccinated fighters will have to go through a process to test and quarantine on fight week. Per MMA Junkie they will test onsite once upon arrival and once on Thursday of fight week. Quarantine will be required until the first test comes back negative.
The ever-evolving ways to address the coronavirus in sports reflects the dichotomy of ensuring safety while allowing the events continue without interruption. Notably, the NHL on Tuesday announced it will stop testing asymptomatic players and staff members after its All-Star break in February. The league also reduced its isolation period for positive tests from 10 days to five days for asymptomatic players.
Payout Perspective:
As the world of sports is dealing with COVID-19 and the omicron variant, the rules on isolation and vaccination have softened. A lot of this has to do with the science and knowledge we now know on the virus. But vaccination remains the most effective way to combat this and avoid the spread to those that are immune-compromised. Still, there are ways around the vaccination requirement since we know that athletes have falsified documents to show to avoid taking the shot. Hopefully, the new requirements do not produce an outbreak.
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