Boston Red Sox prospect Chih-Jung Liu, who arrived to spring training from his home in Taiwan, is currently quarantined as a precaution due to the concern over the coronavirus. Liu, 20, is currently in a hotel room in Fort Meyers, Florida, and says he doesn’t feel ill. He has been told to stay away from the players and JetBlue park for the time being.
On his Facebook page, Liu wrote that he’s receiving three meals, doing some weight training and getting an occasional run while reading about the team online. If he continues to feel fine, he could return to the team on Saturday, but NBC2 News reported he will be in action on Thursday.
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“I had been here for a week and they said I needed to go back to my apartment,” Red Sox prospect Tzu-Wei Lin, who was also quarantined earlier this month, said per the Boston Globe. “I was fine. I stayed away for one day and that was it.”
A spokesperson from the Red Sox said the team is using “an overabundance of caution” because of the concerns with the virus. The outbreak began in China two months ago and it has infected over 80,000 people worldwide. 2,700 people have died from the virus which most of the cases coming from China. There are also cases of the disease in Italy, South Korea and Japan which has led to travel bans.
Along with Red Sox taking measures against the virus, the International Olympic Committee is doing its due diligence when it comes to the health of their athletes. Because of the concerns of the virus, it’s possible the 2020 Summer Olympic Games could be canceled. This year’s Olympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan, and a decision could be made as late as May.
“In and around that time, I’d say folks are going to have to ask: ‘Is this under sufficient control that we can be confident about going to Tokyo or not?’” IOC member Dick Pound said, adding that as the games get closer, “a lot of things have to start happening. You’ve got to start ramping up your security, your food, the Olympic Village, the hotels. The media folks will be in there building their studios.”
The US has confirmed 57 cases of the coronavirus as of Tuesday. There are 26 cases of the virus in Taiwan.
