The Golden State Warriors’ game against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night will be played without fans in the arena in an effort to slow the coronavirus outbreak.
Shortly after San Francisco Mayor London Breed banned all gatherings of 1,000 or more people for the next two weeks, the Warriors announced they would go ahead with the game, but without fans at Chase Center. Four other events scheduled through March 21 at the building, which seats more than 18,000 people, have been postponed or canceled, including a Post Malone concert.
> Warriors’ Official Statement
“We are closely monitoring developments to determine the appropriate course for future Warriors home games,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement, “and will continue to work with local governments, the CDC and public health experts to protect the health of our fans, players, coaches and staff in NBA markets across the country.”
Due to escalating concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, and in consultation with the City and County of San Francisco, tomorrow night’s game vs. the Nets at Chase Center will be played without fans. Fans with tickets to this game will receive a refund in the amount paid. pic.twitter.com/DMpO71ocvg
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 11, 2020
Elsewhere, the Ivy League canceled all spring sports, as many of its schools told students not to return from spring break and prepare for classes to be taught online. The conference had already canceled its men’s and women’s basketball tournaments; other conferences went ahead with theirs as college basketball awaits word on the status of the NCAA Tournament, one of the biggest events on the sporting calendar.
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said he will issue an order to ban fans from NCAA Tournament games in the state. Dayton will host the NCAA’s First Four next week, and first- and second-round games are scheduled for Cleveland.
More than 1,000 people have tested positive for the novel coronavirus in the United States, with 32 deaths; those rates are expected to continue to rise dramatically in what the World Health Organization declared on Wednesday to be an international pandemic.
Most people quickly recover from the virus after experiencing only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.
According to WHO, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover. In China, where the virus first exploded, more than 80,000 people have been diagnosed and more than 58,000 have so far recovered.
