New York will allow stadiums and large venues to open at 10 percent capacity from later this month, almost a year since they closed, the state’s governor announced Wednesday.

The Barclays Center will lead the partial reopening when it accommodates spectators for the Brooklyn Nets’ game against the Sacramento Kings in the NBA on February 23.

It will be the first time in 352 days that the Nets have played in front of fans due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Andrew Cuomo said any venue accommodating more than 10,000 people will be eligible to operate at 10 percent capacity, including for music and theater.

The Barclays Center seats 17,700 spectators during normal times.

“It hits the balance of a safe reopening,” the governor told reporters.

Spectators will have to provide proof that they tested negative in a PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before the event.

They will also have their temperature taken upon entering the arena, and must wear a mask and respect social distancing throughout the event.

The plan follows a successful trial in January when 6,700 spectators attended a Buffalo Bills match in the NFL.

All fans had to test negative before being allowed to sit in the stadium, which has 71,600 seats.

Several US states already allow large venues to accommodate the public, especially Florida where the Super Bowl took place on Sunday in front of 25,000 people.

Cuomo gave no information about the status of venues with a capacity of fewer than 10,000.

He also did not say when the New York Knicks, a rival of the Nets, might play their first game in front of fans at their 20,000-seater home of Madison Square Garden.

Cuomo banned all gatherings of more than 500 people on March 12, 2020 as the pandemic began to ravage New York. COVID-19 has killed more than 45,000 people in the state.

Source: Read Full Article