Andrew Cuomo Says New York Sports Arenas May Reopen in Limited Capacity February 23 | Launderer report

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo ad the state will begin allowing participation in concerts and sporting events from February 23.

Events will be limited to a 10% capacity for any arena with a total capacity of more than 10,000 participants. Those attending events must have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of attending and will be required to wear headgear and temperature checks upon admission.

The New York Knicks announced on Wednesday that Madison Square Garden intends to host “approximately” 2,000 fans per game, starting with the team’s competition against the Golden State Warriors on February 23:

Madison Square Garden will allow fans to attend New York Rangers games starting February 26.

Participation in sporting events has been banned in New York City for almost 11 months amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The issue has been decided state by state and essentially divided into political lines. Most states with Democratic governors, adhering to the advice of medical professionals, have banned fan attendance throughout the pandemic. Most of the Republican-led states lobbied for their states to “open up,” which led to those states having limited fan participation for months.

The Buffalo Bills were allowed an exception to welcome up to 6,700 fans in their playoff series last month. Cuomo, a Democrat, said the state will use the bills as an example of how to safely organize events with some fan participation.

New York was the worst affected state at the start of the pandemic, particularly in New York. Case in state remain among the highest in the country, so it’s unclear on what scientific basis the governor is using to reopen the state, as the vaccine rollout is still well overdue.

Cases have fallen from a national peak in January, but remain higher than they were in the fall and last summer, when New York City banned participation in games.