What's next for NBA, NHL fans as California will soon allow fans to gather at indoor arenas?
LOS ANGELES - California sports teams who play at indoor arenas will soon get the green light to bring back fans for games.
The state announced on Friday that those indoor venues can reopen for gatherings like sporting events and concerts as early as Thursday, April 15.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: California to allow indoor concerts, performances as virus cases plummet
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SOCAL SPORTS FANS?
Friday's development is exciting news for Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers fans as both teams are in the middle of a playoff push and will now be able to have fans in the stands.
As for Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks, their seasons may not be as successful as they had hoped to be, but fans can finally catch some on-ice action as the NHL regular season wraps up in the middle of May.
As you can imagine, all four of the aforementioned pro sports are giddy to bring back fans. Below are the statements issued by each team.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
"We are incredibly excited that the State of California announced guidelines today that will allow Lakers fans to return to STAPLES Center.
Now that we have the guidance, we will work with LA County Public Health and STAPLES Center to finalize our plans to have fans safely attend our games starting with the Lakers vs. Celtics game on April 15.
We look forward to welcoming Lakers fans back to STAPLES Center to continue the journey with us to defend our NBA title."
LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS
The Clippers have released a link for fans wanting to join the waitlist for the remaining regular season games and 2021 playoff tickets.
LOS ANGELES KINGS
"We are thrilled that the state of California has now released the guidance that will allow us to have fans return to Kings games at STAPLES Center starting on April 20 versus Anaheim. Now that we have this information, we will be able to work with our local health officials at LA County to provide information to our fans in the coming week as to how they will be able to attend our games. This is exciting for our players and our fans."
Staples Center, the home arena of the Lakers, Clippers and NHL's Kings, have released their plans to safely bring back fans. You can click here for more information on "Staples Center SAFE."
ANAHEIM DUCKS
The Ducks will welcome back fans to the Honda Center starting Friday, April 16. The team will give top priority to the Orange Alliance Members to attend the remaining five Ducks home games.
To attend, people will have to either be tested or show proof of full vaccination. How many people can attend gatherings will depend on the level of restrictions in place at each county. The state divides counties into four tiers based on how widespread the virus is in those places. The Ducks said on the team's web page that they will announce the COVID-19 protocols "in the coming days."
OTHER INFO WE KNOW
According to the state's health department, to attend, fans will have to either be tested or show proof of full vaccination. How many people can attend gatherings will depend on the level of restrictions in place at each county. The state divides counties into four tiers based on how widespread the virus is in those places.
As of Friday afternoon, neither Los Angeles County County Department of Public Health nor Orange County Health Care Agency have issued local guidelines for how teams in their counties can bring back fans to indoor arenas.
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