Sports and the Coronavirus
March 16, 2020
In today’s society sports is a big section of our entertainment. With the coronavirus still ongoing, professional sports teams have started limiting the attendance of spectators at these events. The following sports leagues are monitoring COVID-19 as some of their seasons are ongoing: Major League Baseball (MLB), National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), and Major League Soccer (MLS). In some other parts of the world, leagues are taking action in canceling sports games and playing in empty stadiums. For example, the Champions League will hold several matches without spectators. One of them being Barcelona vs. Napoli on March 18.
In a joint statement, the NBA, NHL, MLB, and MLS announced this statement, “After consultation with infectious disease and public health experts, and given the issues that can be associated with close contact in pre- and post-game settings, all team locker rooms, and clubhouses will be open only to players and essential employees of teams and team facilities until further notice. Media access will be maintained in designated locations outside of the locker room and clubhouse setting.”
Some other sports leagues like NASCAR, PGA, XFL, NCAA, and IndyCar all United States sports teams, are closely monitoring the virus and will make decisions on events as needed.