Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Dolphins unveil strategy for fans
The Miami Dolphins are in the process of planning how to best implement social distancing at games if teams are allowed to host fans during the 2020 NFL season.
During an exclusive interview with “Good Morning America,” Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel revealed mock-ups of new entrances and social distance strategies for Hard Rock Stadium to avoid the spread of Covid-19 during the coronavirus pandemic.
The mock-up includes colored spots on the ground leading to the entrance gates, which are designed to keep distance between fans as they enter the stadium.
There was also talk of limiting attendance to 15,000 fans. Hard Rock Stadium can hold 65,326 fans, but the adjustment would space out the seating to follow social distancing guidelines.
According to a Dolphins spokesperson, everything mentioned on the “Good Morning America” segment were proposed ideas that were still in the planning stages. However, the Dolphins will follow the NFL and U.S. Government guidelines when sporting events are
deemed safe again.
Hard Rock Stadium aims to became the first public facility to earn the Global Biorisk Advisory Council’s STAR accreditation. GBAC is a division of ISSA, a worldwide cleaning industry association, and their goal is to implement cleaning, disinfection, and infectious disease prevention practices to control risks like Covid-19.
In order to earn the GBAC STAR accreditation, Hard Rock Stadium is working to complete 20 program elements aimed at creating a safe environment for the public.
“When our fans, players and staff are able to return to Hard Rock Stadium, we want them to have peace of mind that we’re doing everything we can to create the safest and healthiest environment possible,” Garfinkel said in a statement provided to the Sun-Sentinel. “We didn’t want to create our own standard, we wanted to be accountable to the most credible thirdparty standard that exists.
“Working with the GBAC ensures compliances with critical guidelines for the highest standard of cleanliness, and it is our hope that other venues will follow suit as we navigate through these unprecedented times.”
The NFL plans to release its 2020 schedule this week, and reportedly has contingency plans if the season were to be delayed, or if they were required to play in empty stadiums or venues that had their attendance limited.
The league plans to start the regular season on Sept. 10 and hold the Super Bowl on Feb. 7 in Tampa, as originally scheduled.