New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks to reporters during a press conference at an emerging COVID-19 vaccination site at the William Reid Apartments in Brooklyn, New York, USA, on January 23, 2021.
Altaffer | Reuters
New York’s major stadiums and arenas may reopen Feb. 23 with limited capacity if approved by the state health department, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Wednesday.
Stadiums with a capacity for 10,000 or more people will be limited to 10% of capacity and all people entering the buildings will be required to submit a negative Covid-19 test within 72 hours of the event, he said. Facial coatings, social distancing and temperature controls will also be required on arrival, Cuomo said.
The first major event that state health officials have already approved will take place at New York’s Barclays Center, where the Brooklyn Nets will play the Sacramento Kings on Feb. 23, Cuomo said.
“Any big stadium or stadium (hockey, basketball, football, soccer, baseball, musicals, performances) any big stadium can open on Feb. 23,” Cuomo told a news conference.
Source: New York State
This will be the first time since mid-March, when the coronavirus first ripped off New York State and overloaded its hospital system, which will allow stadiums to be reopened to fans around the world. state. Cuomo said Monday that reopening the state’s economy, including theaters and large venues, through Covid-19 testing is “something New York wants to lead.”
Much of the state’s plan to reopen the arenas is based on a pilot program it conducted in January, which allowed nearly 7,000 football fans to attend the playoff game at the Buffalo Bills home at all times. that they presented a negative test of Covid-19. Cuomo called the program an “unprecedented success.”
“This strikes the balance of safe reopening,” Cuomo said.
The Democratic governor has begun to gradually lift more restrictions on businesses in recent weeks as the state launches more doses of Covid-19 vaccines and their positivity rate, or the percentage of all tests that test positive, continues to decline from a post-holiday increase.
The New York positivity rate was 4.3% on Tuesday, below the 5% threshold that experts had previously suggested for its reopening. This fell from the rate close to 8% that New York reported on January 4 after the December holidays.
Starting Friday, New York City restaurants will be able to reopen their limited-capacity indoor dining sections for the first time since mid-December. Cuomo said the state intends to allow weddings with a maximum limit of 150 people, or 50% of the capacity of a venue, as of March 15.
Events will have requirements similar to those imposed on arenas and stadiums, including negative testing among guests and approval by the health department.