NHL Covid-19 Testing Requirements Are Insane

There is a worldwide shortage of personal protective equipment needed to combat Covid-19. There is also a shortage of materials required for testing. Despite this, the NHL will be using an astronomical amount of testing materials that is not widely available to the general public.

The list of groups scheduled to undergo daily testing includes players, coaches,  locker room staff, ice crews, security, hotel staff, food service staff, concession staff, and transportation staff. The NHL is expected to perform between 1,248 - 2000 tests per day, according to the phase IV protocol.

This would amount to 20,000 tests for the first round alone. That is unbelievable!

With just teams accounting for 1,248 tests per day (24 teams x 52 per team maximum) - it's easy to envision the #NHL requiring 2,000 tests per day at the beginning of the tournament. That's 20,000 tests in the first 10 days.

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) July 6, 2020