NY allows stadiums to reopen for sports, entertainment

ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Large arenas and stadiums in New York can soon reopen for sports and entertainment at 10% of their normal capacity under a plan announced by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday, despite concern from public health experts about still-high rates of COVID-19 infections and the threat of more contagious variants.

Cuomo said major stadiums and arenas with a capacity of 10,000 people or more can reopen with limited spectators starting Feb. 23.

The Barclays Center, which has about 17,700 seats for basketball games, has already received state approval to reopen Feb. 23 for the Brooklyn Nets’ home game against the Sacramento Kings. And the New York Knicks and New York Rangers said they plan to host about 2,000 fans at every game, starting with Feb. 23 and Feb. 26 games at Madison Square Garden.

The Nets and and Knicks are among about a dozen of the 30 NBA teams that are allowing some fans to attend games, according to the league’s website. It’s unclear how many states are allowing indoor concerts.

A New York Yankees spokesperson called Cuomo's announcement an “encouraging first step.”

But CUNY School of Public Health epidemiology professor Denis Nash said New York's approach lacks a scientific basis when “community prevalence is very high." He and other public health experts interviewed by The Associated Press pointed to evidence that COVID-19 spreads more easily indoors and questioned why New York's policy includes indoor stadiums, which raises the risk of people sitting near others who may be cheering or taking masks off while eating.

“To think about bringing people into large groups and mass gatherings including in indoors arenas, right now, seems cross-purposes with our efforts to really maximize the impact that the vaccine roll out will have in controlling the pandemic,” Nash, the...