What’s next for Golden Knights staff after positive test?
The next steps the Golden Knights must take after a member of the coaching staff tested positive for COVID-19 are guided by the NHL’s Positive Test Protocols.
The 13-page document provides instructions for self-isolation and sets forth the protocols that close contacts must follow.
The Knights are scheduled to host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday at T-Mobile Arena. They did not hold media availability Wednesday after closing their facility at City National Arena to mitigate a potential outbreak among the club.
Here are the answers to a few frequently asked questions about what’s next for the Knights.
When can the coaches return?
There are several factors that will determine this timeline, beginning with whether the unidentified coach who tested positive for COVID-19 has symptoms.
If the coach is a confirmed positive and remained asymptomatic during the entire quarantine period, he can end his isolation after 10 days or by testing negative.
For an individual who was symptomatic at testing or developed COVID-19 symptoms while isolating, he can return after at least 10 days since symptoms first appeared or with two negative tests.
The coaches who were in contact with the confirmed positive have a separate set of guidelines.
Close contacts who test positive are subject to the same provisions for isolation. But those who are negative “shall not be subject to quarantine provided … the individual remains asymptomatic and (free of fever), and daily PCR testing is done and results are negative on each occasion” for a 14-day period.
This is where it gets tricky, though. If the coaches are considered a “high-risk close contact,” they could be subject to a quarantine period for seven to 14 days, depending on the likelihood that they contracted COVID-19.
A high-risk close contact is defined by “unmasked interactions” such as dining together, extended social interactions and in-person meetings.
Did any Knights players test positive?
No. The NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list of unavailable players released Wednesday did not include any Knights.
General manager Kelly McCrimmon said players and coaches are tested each morning. The Knights held a full practice Monday along with an optional morning skate Tuesday and suited up 20 players against St. Louis.
To be considered a close contact, the players would have to be “within 6 feet of the Index Individual for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period, starting from 2 days before illness onset.”
How will we know if a Knights player tests positive?
The NHL is releasing the names of players who are unavailable for practice, travel or games because of COVID protocols. Those absences can be the result of a confirmed positive test, an unconfirmed positive test, mandated isolation for symptomatic individuals, required quarantine as a high-risk close contact or quarantine for travel or other reasons.
No additional details will be provided by the league or the club.
Will games be postponed if a Knights player tests positive?
That depends.
The most recent COVID-19 protocol list included 21 players from seven teams. Chicago’s Lucas Wallmark was added Wednesday, joining two teammates, but the Blackhawks still completed their scheduled back to back with Nashville.
Detroit has five players listed, and none of its games has been postponed. When Carolina had five players on the COVID Protocol Related Absence List, the NHL postponed the Hurricanes’ season.
Each case is different, and the league will determine whether to postpone games based on whether playing creates a health risk.
“We’re going to have to be in a position to understand and address situations as they occur,” commissioner Gary Bettman said Jan. 11.
What is the procedure if games get postponed?
The NHL has rescheduled multiple games that were affected by COVID-19 absences. It’s almost certain the same would happen for any games impacted on the Knights’ schedule.
If games eventually do need to be canceled, it’s possible some teams could play fewer than 56 games. The league has not announced how it will determine the standings should that occur.
How long will the facilities at City National Arena be closed?
Undetermined. The NHL protocols require closures to be long enough to mitigate the risk of transmission.
The Knights must consult the league’s Chief Medical Officer and its infectious diseases consultants and develop a structured plan to determine a reopening strategy.
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.
