With vaccines for COVID-19 slowly being released to the public, sports arenas and public events are becoming more open. The state of Texas has already allowed full attendance to the MLB teams that play in that state. Additionally, the UFC is set to have a live crowd at UFC 261, the first event to do so since the outbreak. We likely won't be seeing that from the NBA this year.
However, the league is on track to have full arenas for the 2021-22 season, per Baxter Holmes of ESPN. Apparently, the NBA has reached a partnership with a biometric screening company, which should ensure it's safe for everyone to return to live sporting events once again.
According to ESPN, “The partnership, which is in effect, is expected to be announced as soon as Wednesday morning, according to league sources. A third of the league — including the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs, and Atlanta Hawks — has already been using Clear's Health Pass program, which includes a combination of health surveys and secure linking to COVID-19 lab results and vaccination records, for their employee or fan safety protocols in-arena.”
The league has already been testing Clear's Health Pass program for a few organizations, and it seems the results are trending upward. To attend games next season, “fans can download the Clear app and upload an identifying document along with a selfie. To link their COVID-19 test results, fans log into their testing account through the app, and results will be linked to their health pass.
It's unknown whether or not other sports leagues pick up the same process when filling their arenas. However, this is a great first step to normalcy since March 2020.
Follow Us
Subscribe