Fansided

ACC Tournament going on as planned in spite of coronavirus concerns

By Patrick Schmidt

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 07: Souvenir basketballs are displayed for sale at the New York Life 2017 ACC Tournament logo at center court at Barclays Center on March 7, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 07: Souvenir basketballs are displayed for sale at the New York Life 2017 ACC Tournament logo at center court at Barclays Center on March 7, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) /
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The ACC Tournament will go on as planned with precautions in place to provide a safe and clean environment for teams, fans and employees in attendance in light of the coronavirus.

The ACC Tournament began on Tuesday afternoon with the first two games, and the rest of the Tournament is scheduled to go on as planned in the wake of the coronavirus. The Ivy League canceled their conference tournaments for the men and women earlier in the day on Tuesday.

“After consultation with local and state health authorities, including the Governor and his medical staff, the Atlantic Coast Conference will hold its men’s basketball tournament as scheduled this week at the Greensboro Coliseum, the ACC released in a statement.

“As was outlined by the Governor during his press conference, high-risk individuals are discouraged from attending mass gatherings. We will continue to take precautionary measures and follow the guidelines outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In addition, the league and the Greensboro Coliseum are taking additional proactive measures to provide a safe and clean environment for its institutions and fans. ”

While the Ivy League canceled their tournaments, the ACC will continue as planned with proactive and response measured that are in place to provide a clean and healthy environment.

This includes frequent cleaning and sanitization of common areas, bathrooms, concessions and where the media is gathered. Further, there will be hand-sanitizer stations throughout the concourse and signs from the CDC about stopping the spread of germs will be distributed. Finally, EMS will be on sight in case there are any medical emergencies.

Increasing the number of hand-sanitizer stations throughout FanFest and the concourse;
Emergency Medical Services will be on the scene for any medical concerns that arise.

The ACC is also following measures taken by MLB, NHL and the NBA to restrict media access during the postgame so that the locker rooms are limited to the players, coaches and essential personnel only.

So if you were planning on attending but were unsure if it would take place or if it would ban fans from attending, you’re free to attend.

The novel coronavirus and COVID-19, the disease it causes, first emerged in Wuhan, China in December 2019. The virus spreads similarly to influenza, with sneezing and coughing as the primary vectors of infection. To date, more than 90,000 cases have been confirmed in more than 70 countries worldwide, including the United States. The World Health Organization declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on Jan. 30 and countries have implemented curfews, travel bans and mandatory quarantines to help prevent its spread.

For more information about COVID-19, visit the CDC’s website or the website for your state’s Department of Health.

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