MLS is Back: League taking right precautions… mostly

In July, Major League Soccer returns in the MLS is Back tournament. For the most part, the league is taking the right safety precautions regarding COVID-19.

Major League Soccer is less than a month away before clubs make their way to Orlando for the MLS is Back Tournament. The tournament will begin July 8 but clubs can go to Orlando starting June 24 and must arrive no later than a week before their first match. This World Cup-like event will take place at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, and due to COVID-19, teams will remain isolated at the complex.

Since these are abnormal times, MLS is taking, for the most part, all of the necessary precautions to keep players, coaches, and staff safe during the tournament. According to mlssoccer.com, all those traveling to Orlando must take two Polymerase Chain Reaction, or PCR, tests, 24 hours apart. If anyone tests positive for the coronavirus, they will not be able to travel and must remain isolated. The league will also use contact tracing to identify those who were in close contact with the positive individual. This will prevent the virus from spreading to those at the Complex in Orlando and will help identify those who are positive as well or those who need to watch out for symptoms.

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Once teams arrive in Orlando, they will receive a PCR test again. They will then be tested every other day for two weeks. Afterwards, the tests will decline but will remain regular, with teams being tested before every match. Additionally, all members of clubs will be required to check their own temperatures and take a daily health questionnaire. This will allow individuals to monitor their own symptoms and to isolate right away if needed. Such precautions and rigorous testing will hopefully keep everyone attending the tournament safe. It is vital for the resumption of play.

Now, an individual that tests positive in Orlando ‘will be relocated to an isolation area after evaluation by an on-site telehealth physician.’ The positive individual will ‘remain in isolation’ and ‘monitored daily and tested routinely’. Furthermore, MLS has a system in place for the individual to get the all-clear to return to the rest of the tournament. MLSsoccer.com reported the following:

"“A test-based plan or symptom-based plan will determine an individual’s timeline for a return to play or work. Using the test-based plan, an individual can return to activity once the person is asymptomatic and tests PCR negative twice in a span of 24 hours. The symptom-based plan takes into account the days elapsed since the resolution of fever and the number of days since symptoms first appeared.”"

MLS is following CDC guidelines with their testing-based plan, which highlights their commitment to health first before the game itself. One aspect of their plan that is questionable, though, is their contact-tracing approach. Those who have had close contact with a positive individual do not have to isolate and may continue practicing or working under the following conditions: they must ‘wear a face mask at all times when not competing, remain asymptomatic and continue to test negative’.

Contrary to MLS’ plan, the CDC recommends self-isolation when in close contact with a positive COVID-19 individual. It is off that the league is not abiding by that guideline. The league might argue they can test every day, but someone could be negative one day and then test positive 24 hours later. Also, there is the question of whether the positive individual had close contact with numerous personnel. What happens when those individuals do not isolate themselves? Could it lead to a mass outbreak at the complex? Remember, the virus can still be spread while someone is asymptomatic. Yes, masks would be required for those in close contact, but not for players during practice and it is hard to remain six feet apart. In this case, what would be the league’s plan if multiple players on one team became sick with the coronavirus?

Fortunately, some leagues in Europe have restarted their seasons already and there have been no team outbreaks. Nonetheless, the question on contact tracing remains. Otherwise, however, MLS’ safety precautions abide by CDC recommendations and seem to satisfy the unique circumstances in which games will be played.

There are other preventative measures being introduced, too. MLS is requiring the use of face coverings, social distancing, general hygiene practices like washing hands often, and more. There are match-day preventions as well. Masks must be worn on the sideline and individuals must continue social distancing. Players are also to refrain from jersey exchanges and not to kiss the ball. Some of these measures are universally used worldwide and assist with slowing the spread of COVID-19.

To conclude, Major League Soccer has taken mostly proper precautions to keep players, coaches, and staff safe while participating in the MLS is Back Tournament. Whether that is enough, however, remains to be seen. But as soccer prepares to return in these unprecedented times, the proper preparations are being established.