MLS: Rising Florida spike cause for concern
Florida is experiencing a rising spike in COVID-19 cases. Given that the MLS is Back Tournament is based there is less than a month away, it is a concerning development.
Major League Soccer is not the professional sports league to take its product to Florida in the hope of playing matches. The N.B.A. is also planning to host some form of completion to its season at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports. Starting later in July, the league hopes to conclude a truncated regular season to determine the teams which will compete in the playoffs.
Due to the normal calendar, MLS has a far greater margin for error than the N.B.A. The season was only two games old when play was suspended. Commissioner Don Garber has more time to play with later in the season, as he admitted earlier this year.
However, while both leagues have proposed plans to resume play in Orlando, Florida, there is a concerning development that both may have to face in the coming weeks. In Florida, the coronavirus is coming back.
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In May, Florida Governor, Ron DeSantis, stated that professional sports are welcome to play in Florida as he looked to reopen the state and give the economy a boost. Via the Tampa Bay Times, DeSantis said:
"“Our people are starved to have some of this back in their lives. I think we can certainly do it in a way that’s safe. If you have a team in an area where they just won’t let them operate, we’ll find a place for you here in the state of Florida.”"
He was also asked about MLS’ proposal specifically. He replied with two simple words: ‘do it’.
However, since MLS made its official announcement, the statistics of Florida’s coronavirus problems have spiralled out of control. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, Florida announced record new cases of the coronavirus. And the rise is dramatic.
On Saturday morning, Florida’s Department of Health reported 2,581 new confirmed cases of COVID-19. That is a daily record, surpassing the previous high, which was Friday, by 679. 48 new deaths were also announced. Since June 3rd, Florida has experienced more than 1,000 new cases every day bar June 8th.
These numbers also come with the backdrop of a former data scientist for the Florida Department of Health being fired for not agreeing to manipulate the data and underreporting cases. Rebekah Jones has since created the website, Florida Covid Action, where she reports what she states are the accurate figures. As a base number, on Thursday, Florida’s Department of Health states that have been 69,069 confirmed cases. Jones’ website showed 75,897.
Ultimately, for MLS, it might not matter who is telling the truth here. Even the official numbers, whether they have been fiddled with or not, are extremely concerning, showing a clear exponential trend as the virus rips through a state that has been one of the most aggressive in reopening businesses throughout its jurisdiction.
I am no coronavirus expert and I am not going to tell Florida how to manage itself, but purely from an MLS perspective, the numbers do not lie. The virus is spreading, and the rate of spread is increasing, not slowing down. In two weeks’ time, who knows how able Florida will be able to play host to MLS and the N.B.A.
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This does not need a decision, yet, of course. MLS still has time to gather more information. Nevertheless, it is a concerning trend that it will have to keep a close eye on over the coming weeks.