When fans head to the Barclays Center on Tuesday, they will enter a space where everyone around them, from NBA players to security guards, tested negative for Covid-19.
This will be the first time since March 11, 2020 that spectators are back in the arena, said John Abbamondi, CEO of BSE Global, which manages and manages the building and the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association.
“While it will not be the same as having 20,000 people in the house, there is something very special about one of a small number of people who can attend a live NBA game,” he said. Abbamondi said. “Those people are going to feel really happy.”
Nearly a year after the Covid-19 first swept through New York City, there are signs that it will return to normal. This week, the capacity constraints for indoor dining will increase from 25% to 35%. Large arenas in New York State, such as Barclays Center and Madison Square Garden, may be allowed for fans and work with a limit of 10%.
Weddings with no more than 150 guests can start again in mid-March. Domestic family entertainment could open later this month, with outdoor amusement parks following, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said last week. Even summer camps can start planning, he said.
Overall, the positivity rate of Covid-19 infections on Sunday was 2.99%, dropping to a one-day level last seen before Thanksgiving. In New York City, the Department of Health’s data showed that the percentage of people who tested positive for Covid-19 was declining and now stands at an average of 7.31% over the past seven days. The total number of reported cases, hospitalizations and deaths is also declining according to the city’s data.
Meanwhile, about 12% of New Yorkers have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, the state said Friday.
“The numbers are all going down, so now is the time to start doing more reopening,” he said. Cuomo said Friday. “We are making progress.”
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