New York State Venues Will Be Open To WWE & AEW Before The End Of February
Sophia Edwards WWE and AEW could possibly take advantage of the option of returning to venues in New York soon, with the state set to open arenas for events again.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced on Wednesday that large stadiums and arenas will be allowed to welcome fans back for sports and concerts in late February. That, of course, includes Madison Square Garden and Nassau Coliseum, both previous hosts of WWE.
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The New York Knicks have been playing at MSG since the start of the NBA season, though not in front of supporters. The team has already announced it will be taking in 2,000 fans per game on the back of Cuomo's announcement. The Brooklyn Nets, housed at the Barclays Center, will also reopen doors to fans. In recent years, the location has served as WWE's main host when they're in NY.
The change in venue operations will take place on February 23, with 10 percent capacity to be allowed for sporting events and concerts. Any building able to hold up to 10,000 persons can host such events from the aforementioned date, providing the New York Department of Health signs off on it.
COVID-19 protocols will be in place; venues must take every safety measure in that regard, meaning attendees to any event must wear face masks and observe social distancing. Fans will also need to show evidence of having received a negative COVID-19 test within the last 72 hours.
“While we continue to fight COVID on multiple fronts, we must also get this economy re-opened intelligently and in a balanced way,” Governor Cuomo said, via NY.gov. “Live sports and entertainment have long been engrained in the fabric of New York and the inability to hold events has only added to the isolation we have all felt at the hands of this virus. Thankfully, our pilot program to reopen Buffalo Bills games to fans was an unparalleled success and now we are taking that model and expanding it to other large venues across the state to not only reinvigorate local economies, but also help bring some fun and joy back into people’s lives as safely as possible.”
No Word On Any Plans
There's nothing out there as it pertains to WWE or AEW considering New York shows post this announcement, but it's certainly an option.
MSG will be able to host up to 2,000 fans while the Barclays Center and Nassau Coliseum could allow 1,600 and 1,500 respectively. Whether the promotions opt to have events there moving forward remains to be seen.
Source: NY.gov
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