The Miaimi Heat will allow some fans to attend upcoming home games amid the pandemic by using specially trained dogs to detect if anyone present at the stadium has the coronavirus, the NBA team has announced.
If a dog sits next to someone in attendance, that person and those who are with them at the game will not be allowed to stay to watch the match.
The Heat are allowing some 1,500 season ticket holders to attend games, starting with this Thursday’s contest against the Los Angeles Clippers, which is less than 10% of the capacity of their home court, the American Airlines Arena in the Florida city, The Hill reported.
If a fan is uncomfortable around dogs or allergic to them, they can instead choose to take a rapid coronavirus test at the arena that can be evaluated in less than 45 minutes.
The Heat has already used this technique in a limited capacity this season. The dogs have been present at games where the club has permitted a small number of guests to attend, such as friends and family members of players and staff, according to the Associated Press.
Coronavirus-sniffing dogs have also already been used in airports in both Dubai and Helsinki.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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