TAMPA, Fla. — Florida is one of the few states with NBA franchises that will allow fans to return for the start of the 2020-21 season, but that shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
Gov. Ron DeSantis has publicly courted pro sports teams to play in the state, despite rising coronavirus infections. Now, two of the three NBA franchises that call Florida home (at least one of them is temporary) will be allowing fans at games to start the season.
The Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic will permit a limited number of patrons to attend games, the NBA announced. The Raptors, who will play home games at Amalie Arena due to Canada's COVID-19 travel restrictions, will allow 3,200 fans for the pre-season, beginning with Friday's game against the Miami Heat.
Both will have health protocols in place, including:
- Physically-distanced seating
- Mandatory face coverings
- Enhanced surface and air disinfection systems
- A health survey screening for all guests as they enter the facility
- Cashless concessions
- Mobile tickets only
- No floor seats and no seats sold within 30 feet of the court
But is it a good idea to allow fans to attend games while COVID-19 infections surge statewide and especially in Hillsborough County? USF Health professor Dr. Jay Wolfson doesn't have an issue with it -- if it's done right.
"Just use common sense," Wolfson said. "Separate people out, checkerboard them, make sure they're wearing masks, protective behavior. I think it's very rational. There's no reason why we can't do this kind of thing if we use those rules."
The Raptors will increase available seating to 3,800 fans once the regular season begins and through the end of January. Other than the Magic, the Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies are the only other teams allowing fans, as of now.
The number of fans allowed was dictated by the NBA, not Amalie Arena.
"The only concern I have with them playing with patrons in the audience is people coming in and making sure the control of the access is careful, in the hallways, the concession areas and bathrooms, that there's checkerboarding seating that's done, the same way when we brought the Stanley Cup back," Wolfson said, referencing the season ticket holders who were allowed to watch playoff games inside the area during the team's Cup run. "The inside of the arena was fantastic.
"What we don't want is to create what happened on the outside of the arena, which was a giant fraternity party."
Wolfson did note the current projections for this pandemic, with the Tampa Bay area potentially seeing 15,000 new cases a day, including 5,000 in Hillsborough. On Tuesday, the Tampa Bay area saw nearly 1,700 new cases, with Hillsborough leading the way with 530.
"As long as these precautions are being put in place, at least in the arena area, it's safe," Wolfson said. "Our concern is the same it is when people travel. When you're on the plane, it's pretty safe, but it's getting to and from the plane and the parties before and after...they become potential super spreaders when people go and have their private enjoyment before and after in large groups or even small groups."
Only half of NFL teams are allowing a limited number of fans to attend games, and that does include the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which hosted 16,031 fans during Sunday's home game against the Vikings. While it's tough to trace an outbreak back to an NFL game, Wolfson considers what the league has done in terms of fan safety a success, saying it's been done "very, very well."
Wolfson believes sporting events can lift up a community, especially one that's been hit hard by COVID-19.
"The sporting events I think are psychologically helpful for our community and they're certainly economically beneficial for our community," Wolfson said. "We'd like to think the people that are partaking in them are going to exercise the same kind of basic common sense that the team players, owners and venue owners are exercising by allowing this to happen."
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