The Toronto Raptors were one of five teams the NBA told to self-quarantine after they faced the Utah Jazz prior to the league suspending operations due to the positive tests from Rudy Gobert and later Donovan Mitchell for COVID-19. Pistons big man Christian Wood later also tested positive, and while to this point there have been no other confirmed cases in the league, those that played the Raptors were asked to stay at home and self-quarantine for 14 days.
Raptors big man Chris Boucher apparently violated that self-quarantine as he apparently went to a grocery store prior to the test results for the Raptors coming back (all of which were negative), and as such he issued an apology on Monday on his Instagram story.
Chris Boucher has issued an apology for violating the team’s self-quarantine. pic.twitter.com/VFl6o6oXoa
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) March 16, 2020
For background, Boucher violated the self-quarantine BEFORE results came back. Had been mentioned on Raps channels (Reddit/RealGM/Discord) that he was out grocery shopping. Sounds innocent enough but there is really no room for any kind of risk right now.
— Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC) March 16, 2020
It is a reminder to everyone that at this time the best thing you can do for the greater good is to remain at home whenever possible. The highly contagious nature of the virus means those that are asymptomatic can still carry the virus, and as such many who have not been tested have and are capable of spreading the virus. The danger in that is to those that are at higher risk of being hospitalized or dying from the virus, as well as increasing the strain placed on our healthcare infrastructure that could become oversaturated by those needing beds and ventilators and, as such, could lead to many more deaths as has happened in Italy.
Boucher’s actions were dangerous, but him noting that and issuing this apology can be a learning experience for all as we learn more and more the dangers of this virus and how widespread the outbreak already is.
