Outside Source
Never the case that USADA suspended sample collection during pandemic. Although testing numbers have decreased with “mission critical” directive, we have seen multiple out-of-competition samples collected over last few days and USADA will have a testing presence at FL events.
— Jeff Novitzky (@JeffNovitzkyUFC) May 5, 2020
The coronavirus pandemic hasn’t completely shut down operations for the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
Although the UFC’s anti-doping partner has operated in a limited capacity during the outbreak, the organization will be conducting drug tests in regards to the Las Vegas-based promotion’s three upcoming events in Jacksonville, Florida. The first card is on Saturday, when UFC 249 goes down at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida.
UFC senior vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky addressed USADA’s status in a tweet on Tuesday.
“Never the case that USADA suspended sample collection during pandemic,” Novitzky wrote. “Although testing numbers have decreased with ‘mission critical’ directive, we have seen multiple out-of-competition samples collected over last few days and USADA will have a testing presence at FL events.”
Novitzky, a former agent with the IRS and the Food and Drug Administration, joined the UFC in 2015 and has served as a spokesman for the organization’s revamped drug testing program and partnership with USADA.
In March, USADA updated its testing protocol to include additional safety measures in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Those measures included requirements that doping control officers wear protective gear, including masks and gloves, and that both athletes and DCOs maintain a six-foot distance during the sample collection process.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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