The Cleveland Cavaliers Open Season Against Charlotte Hornets, Announce COVID-19 Safety Protocols

After being nearly nine months away, the Cleveland Cavaliers will finally return to action on December 23 where they open their season at home against the Charlotte Hornets. The Cavaliers are slated to play 38 games in the First Half schedule, including 19 home contests and a Martin Luther King Day contest against the Washington Wizards. It will be to limited fans, though, as the organization has also announced their health and safety protocols for the 2020-21 NBA season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

This plan currently includes a state-restricted, reduced seating limit of 300 fans per game. The full capacity for Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is 20,562. The limited amount of tickets for each home game will be made available to family and associates of players and coaches. Within the initial 300-fan limit, there will also be a small inventory for members of Wine and Gold United, the team’s official season ticket-based year-round membership club, as well as other team partners to begin the season. For the two home preseason games slated for December 12 and 14 against the Indiana Pacers, there will be no fan access at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. This will be done to take every initial precaution related to health and operational protocols and processes and in relation to the current health and safety advisories that run through December 17.

There will be several procedures, protocols and technologies in place designed to keep the very limited number of fans in attendance healthy, safe and comfortable to enjoy their experience at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Cavaliers return-to-venue plan comes following the facility receiving third-party certification and rating by both the Global Biorisk Advisory Council and the WELL Building Institute for its proactive and progressive initiatives to help protect the health and safety of all those who visit. Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is the first sports and entertainment venue in the state of Ohio, and was one of the first in the nation, to achieve these industry-leading certifications and ratings. The plan has also been thoroughly reviewed and endorsed by the Cleveland Clinic.

“We are thrilled to have Cavaliers basketball back inside Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse and look forward to treating any fans and guests in attendance to an exceptional home game experience in a safe, healthy and comfortable environment,” said Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse CEO Len Komoroski. “We have the utmost confidence in our deep level of preparation and the health and safety measures in place, which have been reviewed by local health authorities, certified by leading venue consultants, and endorsed by the Cleveland Clinic. While this remains a journey, it is an important starting point for us with very limited fan access. At the same time, we hope access can grow over the course of the season as the associated health and safety landscape evolves and improves.”

In addition to a reduced attendance limit and appropriate social distancing measures, health and safety protocols include required face masks unless actively eating or drinking in a designated area, contactless mobile ticketing and cashless purchases, thorough cleaning and disinfecting procedures throughout the venue and much more. Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is equipped with the latest in HVAC technology, including air handling units that feature AtmosAir, a bipolar ionization process that assists with the clean air process. In a top lab study, Microchem Laboratory found the system was proven to neutralize coronavirus by 99.92%. This technology is the most effective system for cleaning and decontaminating indoor air and surfaces.

On top of that, COVID-19 symptom self-screening must be completed by all fans before they arrive at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Upon arrival, each ticket will provide a required entrance and exit zone as well as a targeted entry time to stagger arrival and avoid crowding. Fans will have the ability to hover their cell phone above a terminal to scan their ticket and gain access to the venue in a completely contactless capacity and all purchases must be made with a valid debit or credit card, or mobile wallet options like Apple Pay or Google Pay. Seating will be comprised of “pods” to allow for six feet or more of social distancing between groups and plexiglass barriers will be installed at all concession and merchandise stands to reduce contact between fans and staff. Cleaning and sanitization processes and procedures exceed Centers for Disease Control standards and all staff have undergone additional health and safety training, will be subject to temperature checks and will wear appropriate PPE during games and events.

While seeing Cleveland in person this season will certainly be an unusual experience, that’s the reality of the situation with the ongoing pandemic. When things hopefully improve, obviously more fans can attend as well. But, until then, the Cavaliers organization has made it their top priority to ensure that all players, coaches, staff and fans attend games at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in the safest way possible.