NY to leave fans in sports stadiums and arenas starting February 23



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Several states have allowed sports fans to enter venues during the pandemic, especially outdoor baseball and football stadiums. Sunday’s Super Bowl at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. Drew around 25,000 participants and Major League Baseball saw fans advance to the subsequent playoffs in Arlington, Texas last season.

However, sports that take place outside have had far more fans than those inside, in large part because public health officials have said it is easier to spread the virus inside. interior.

In the NBA, 11 out of 30 teams allow a limited number of fans to watch games, a change from last year when the league ended its season this summer without fans at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida. The rules for participation have varied. by state. The New Orleans Pelicans allow fans to witness at 4% capacity, while the Houston Rockets are at 25%.

The Nets said on Wednesday that people who buy tickets will receive PCR tests, which could then be shipped for overnight results, while Barclays Center workers are already being tested on site.

“We are very confident in our ability to do this safely. This has always been at the forefront of our concerns, ”said John Abbamondi, managing director of BSE Global, the parent company of the Nets and Barclays Center, in an interview. “We have a very massive facility here and we’re going to contribute a very small percentage of our capacity. We will not only test all clients, but here at the Nets, we will test every employee before every event. “

He added, “There is nothing in life without risks, but when you look at our building at 10% capacity and everyone has come in after being tested, versus going to a restaurant or whatever. thing like that, I think it’s at least as safe, if not safer than that.

The Knicks and Rangers, both owned by James L. Dolan, have said they plan to host around 2,000 fans every game at Madison Square Garden starting with the Feb. 23 Knicks game against the Golden. State Warriors and the Rangers game against the Boston Bruins three days later. It was not immediately clear whether the arena had received state approval to do so.

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