NFL, NBA, NHL: Spike in pro athletes getting COVID cancels games, results in booster requirement

The country's three major professional sports leagues now in season have been hit with a spike in COVID-19 cases – resulting in canceled games and a vaccine booster requirement.

The virus has sidelined 10 players on the Chicago Bulls, forcing the NBA to postpone the team's next two games. 

In the NFL, 36 players – including 25 on active rosters – were on Monday placed on a reserve/COVID list as a result of positive tests, according to the NFL Network. 

Also on Monday, the NHL postponed three Calgary Flames' games after six players and a staff member entered the league's COVID protocol over a 24-hour period, according to the Associated Press. 

The Bulls were scheduled to play the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday and the Toronto Raptors on Thursday, games that will be rescheduled for later dates.

On Monday, forward Alize Johnson tested positive for the virus and entered COVID protocols. Johnson joins nine of his Bulls teammates in quarantine, bringing the team down to the league minimum of eight players, many of whom are not typically not in the team's top, regular rotation.

National Basketball Association protocols require that after testing positive, players must quarantine for 10 days or until they receive two negative PCR tests in the span of 24 hours. Players begin protocol when they test positive for the virus, or if they have been exposed to someone who has tested positive. 

The Bulls' game postponement is the first one of the NBA season. The team's next scheduled game is on Sunday when Chicago will host the Los Angeles Lakers. 

In the National Football League, the three dozen players testing positive Monday is the largest number of additions to the league's list since its creation in 2020, the NFL Network also reports.

In response, the league is mandating that all Tier 1 and 2 personnel "who have previously been vaccinated and are eligible under [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines, must receive a booster shot" by Dec. 27, according to a memo obtained by the network.

Tier 1 personnel consist of players, coaches, physicians, trainers and necessary personnel who need direct access to players.

However, the mandate does not apply to players as all requirements for players must be negotiated with the NFL Players Association. Tier 2 is comprised of general mangers, football operations employees, other assistant coaches, etc., also according to the network.