All NBA referees will be required to be vaccinated against COVID-19 to work games this upcoming season, the league announced Saturday.
The new protocols, which include an exemption for “religious or medical” reasons, were the result of an agreement between the NBA and the National Basketball Referees Association.
Referees have also agreed to take any recommended boosters. Recently, as a means of improving protection against the Delta variant, the Biden administration said that most Americans should get a COVID-19 booster vaccine eight months after they received their second dose.
The agreement marks the latest set of vaccination-related protocols implemented by the NBA. On Friday, the league distributed a memo saying all personnel who will be near players and referees must be fully vaccinated against the coronavirus this season.
That list of personnel encompassed almost anyone who travels with the team or is around the bench areas, including coaches, medical and performance staff, equipment staff, front office members, team and arena security, media relations, social media producers and facility operations workers.
At this time, NBA players are not required to be fully vaccinated, although many underwent the vaccination process last season after the league said it would loosen health and safety protocols for those who had gotten their shots.
2:04
4:43
