Leadership / 09.02.20

Will the U.S. Open Show That Big Events Can Return to New York?

Access Staff

New York Times (08/30/20) Futterman, Matthew

This week's U.S. Open tennis tournament will be a test case to see whether live events in New York can endure in the midst of the pandemic. Mount Sinai Health Systems' Bernard Camins, who has been advising the U.S. Tennis Association on safety protocols, said having athletes arrive from all over the world made staging the events especially challenging. Rather than force a two-week quarantine ahead of the Open, officials opted to administer two tests within the first 48 hours and follow up on testing in four-day increments. Other protective measures include capacity rules for locker rooms, electronic monitors to track everyone's whereabouts, and a prohibition against communal dining. Slated to follow the tennis tournament are other major New York-based sporting events, including golf, baseball, basketball, and hockey games. "What we are going to learn from the tournaments is a little different than a football game, but we are going to learn about preparedness and testing protocols and tracing in a sporting event," said Andrew Wallach with New York City Health and Hospitals.

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Tags: Sports , News , Leadership , COVID-19 , Coronavirus