The San Francisco Department of Public Health has rejected the Golden State Warriors' plan to reopen Chase Center at 50% capacity for the 2020-21 NBA season.
"In the present circumstances, bringing thousands of individuals (and households) together -- many of whom would travel and return from other counties -- creates too much risk of widespread transmission in transit and while visiting San Francisco," the department of public health said in a letter to the Warriors, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Team owner Joe Lacob had presented the plan to the city last week, saying he was prepared to spend upward of $30 million to test every fan, Warriors employee and player with the most accurate form of COVID-19 testing for each home game or day they come to Chase Center.
"The Department of Public Health has met with the Warriors and had a good conversation about how to safely bring events back to Chase Center in the future," Jeff Cretan, a spokesman for the mayor's office, said, according to the Chronicle. "We know the Warriors and events at Chase Center are an important part of San Francisco's economy and our City, and we will continue to work collaboratively with them as we move through the challenging times ahead."
The Warriors did not play the final 17 games on their schedule last season, which Lacob estimated cost them $50 million in revenue. If they were to play this season with no fans, he estimated they could lose another $400 million in revenue and $200 million on the bottom line. Lacob told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne that lost revenue was not the driving force behind the project.
