San Jose Sharks Play On Amid Coronavirus Advisory

SAN JOSE, CA — Going against a recommendation by public health officials earlier in the day that its game be cancelled over concerns about the coronavirus outbreak, the San Jose Sharks opened their doors to SAP Center on Thursday night for their regularly scheduled game against the Minnesota Wild.

The Santa Clara County Public Health Department issued a statement recommending that mass gatherings and large community events not be held amid the COVID-19 outbreak.

There were 20 reported coronavirus cases in Santa Clara County as of Thursday.

“We recommend postponing or canceling mass gatherings and large community events where large numbers of people are within arm’s length of one another,” The PHD said in a statement.

The Sharks issued a statement a few hours before the game confirming that the team was aware of the county’s recommendation and that it will continue to monitor the situation.

The Sharks said on Friday that their two home games scheduled for this weekend will go on. They’ll play the Ottawa Senators on Saturday at 4 p.m., and the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday at 7 p.m.

“We will be evaluating further upcoming events in the coming days,” the team said in a statement.

“SAP Center undergoes a rigorous cleaning procedure after each and every event, with particular attention paid to high-traffic, high public-contact areas. Many areas will receive additional, enhanced measures throughout the course of events for the foreseeable future.

“Guests attending tonight's game and future SAP Center events are strongly encouraged to follow the health department's suggestion, which recommends that ‘persons at higher risk avoid mass gatherings such as parades, sporting events, and concerts where large numbers of people are within arm's length of one another.’ ”

Many fans at Thursday night’s game didn’t appear too concerned with the potential risks of attending the event, according to a USA Today report.

"I have chronic lung disease so I’m concerned about it, but I’m not going to let it control me," Gerald Pleasant, a Santa Cruz County resident in his 70s who attended the game told USA Today.

There were 14,517 tickets distributed for the Sharks’ 3-2 loss to the Wild, about 2,000 below the team’s season average of 16,550, according to the report. SAP Center has a capacity of 17,562.

Read more at USA Today.

Read the Santa Clara County Public Health Department's advisory.