Coronavirus News: Cuomo wants major sports to resume without fans
NEW YORK (WABC) -- "Personal disclosure - I want to watch the Buffalo Bills," New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said on Monday, encouraging sports teams to consider playing without fans in the stands. "But I'm still objective, I'm acting as governor."
As phase one of reopening begins in Western New York and other parts of the state, gatherings such as church services and sports events will still be banned, Cuomo said.
"I am encouraging major sport teams to plan reopenings without fans. But the games could be televised. They'll help the major sport franchises to do just that. Football, baseball, a willing and able partner," he said.
Cuomo said If sports teams can economically have games with no fans because the TV revenue, they should press forward.
"Why wait until you can fill a stadium before you start to bring the team back and if you can televise it in the meantime?" Cuomo said.
Most of upstate New York will have started reopening by the end of this week, but it will likely be weeks before New York City and its suburbs meet metrics for reopening including the availability of hospital beds and the hiring of enough contact tracers to contain the spread of the virus.
MORE CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 COVERAGE
COVID-19 Help, Information and Resources
UPDATES
Grieving the lost: Tri-State residents who have died
RELATED INFORMATION
Share your coronavirus story with Eyewitness News
Stimulus check scams and other coronavirus hoaxes
Coronavirus prevention: how clean are your hands?
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on coronavirus
