Golden State Warriors Propose Plan for 50% Fan Attendance at Chase Center Games
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX) -- Many of the details of the 2020-21 NBA season -- including actual team schedules -- remain unknown but the Golden State Warriors are planning to have fans attend games at the Chase Center in some capacity.
Warriors owner Joe Lacob came up with this plan called "Operation Dub Nation" to test every person before they walk into Chase Center. He's even willing to pick up the estimated $30 million bill.
The Warriors would like to fill the empty seats at Chase Center to 50 percent capacity.
Lacob, who has a masters in epidemiology, came up with a testing plan. Warriors chief operating officer Rick Welts promised in a video statement, "Everyone from our employees to our part-time workers to every fan will be tested."
Fans will have the option of getting tested 48 hours in advance or of receiving a rapid test at Chase Center but some medical experts expressed some doubt.
"To get back to large gatherings, we're going to need testing but we're going to need a lot more," said Dr. Yvonne Maldonado, a Stanford infectious disease specialist.
Since tests alone will not stop the spread of the virus, Dr. Maldonado believes it has to be combined with face covering, social distancing and a vaccine.
Stanford Medicine just released its framework to help communities recover, restore and reopen -- also known as R3 -- based on what experts have learned so far in the pandemic.
If the Warriors get permission to execute their plan, it may not be risk-free but it could be a valuable experiment.
"We would love to have that data if we could because that's how you learn the lessons for the future," Dr. Maldonado said.
The San Francisco Department of Public Health would have to approve this plan and is currently reviewing the proposal.
