Concerns about the Zika virus have resulted in the relocation of two Major League Baseball (MLB) games originally set to be played this month in Puerto Rico. Following several players' objections to playing in Puerto Rico, which has 730 confirmed cases of the virus, the games between the Miami Marlins and the Pittsburgh Pirates will now be played in Miami.
"After discussing the issue with all involved parties, and consulting with federal and Puerto Rican government officials at the highest levels, Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr., decided that the players who objected to the trip because of their specific family situations should not be forced to travel to Puerto Rico," read a joint MLB and MLBPA statement.
Tourism officials in Puerto Rico responded with disappointment.
"We understand the serious potential of this virus. However, the MLB's official statement ignores the following facts," said Milton Segarra (pictured above), president and CEO, Meet Puerto Rico, in a statement. "Puerto Rico has undertaken major efforts -- including the collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Puerto Rico Department of Health -- to combat the virus and prevent it from spreading any further. Hypothetical projections and worst-case scenarios are scaring our potential visitors. And, by mid-summer, all but 10 states of the United States will be at risk for Zika -- including Florida, where this game is being moved."
Segarra also pointed out that in the past three months Puerto Rico has hosted 95 groups with an estimated attendance of 40,000 people.
"Our attendees have followed the instructions provided by the CDC and to our knowledge, none of the attendees has contracted Zika," Segarra said. "In fact, according to our information, as of the beginning of May, out of almost 3.6 million people who live here, only 730 had Zika, and these cases were not in the tourist areas."
Recent events which took place in Puerto Rico include the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians' convention, which brought over 2,500 physicians to the island, and Destination Marketing Association International's CEO Summit.