Rays asking players to limit high-fiving, shaking hands with other team members, fans amid coronavirus outbreak

The Tampa Bay Rays instituted new policies dealing with the coronavirus. 

The team issued a memo to the players before the spring game against the Baltimore Orioles on Monday encouraging the frequent washing of hands and to refrain from high-fiving or shaking the hands of other players or fans.

During Monday’s game, players were seen tapping each other’s feet as an alternative.

Ji-Man Choi has taken it a step further and asked the contingent of Korean media following him to conduct their interviews outside of the Rays’ clubhouse. 

Manager Kevin Cash said focusing on prevention is the best plan going forward.

“Sure it’s concerning,” he told FOX 13. “We’re going to do the necessary steps…let’s stay on top of sanitizing our hands, washing our hands, spraying the clubhouse down – we want to do everything we can to prevent anything like that from happening.”