Allegheny County officials said Wednesday that state leaders will make the final call on whether to open major sporting events to spectators.
“It won’t be a decision that’s made here at the local level or in Philadelphia,” said County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.
As college and professional football seasons get started, Fitzgerald said there have been many discussions about the potential for opening Heinz Field to fans. Officials have been working with colleges and sports teams, he said, but there are multiple levels to consider – opening for parents and close family members, and opening to general fans.
“Can you have thousands and thousands of fans in a stadium wearing a their mask the whole time – for three hours, three and a half hours, during the whole game?” Fitzgerald said. “That becomes the question.”
Fans cheering at sporting events creates another concern, he said. Such activities have been shown to propel droplets that could spread covid-19.
The question of opening stadiums comes as county officials celebrate relatively low covid-19 case numbers. As September comes to a close, officials are “very, very pleased” with the cooperation of Allegheny County residents following health orders while schools and universities reopened, Fitzgerald said. Last week, the county eased indoor and outdoor gathering limits, citing low case levels.
But when it comes to professional sports, Fitzgerald said the final decision will ultimately lie with Gov. Tom Wolf and Health Secretary Rachel Levine. He praised actions the state has used thus far to reduce the state’s covid-19 fatality rate, compared to other states.
“Other states have made decisions to open things up,” Fitzgerald said, mentioning Florida, where nearly 15,000 covid-19 deaths have been recorded. “But the fact is, these decisions are very difficult decisions and they will be made in a very serious way.”
“If people are cooperating,” he added, following mask and social distancing requirements, “(Things) can be done safely.”
The county recorded 43 new cases Wednesday, bringing its total number of cases to more than 12,000. There were 2,001 cases in September – down from August and July but still higher than earlier months in the pandemic.
“I am really happy to report that our daily case counts have remained relatively stable and quite low,” Allegheny County Health Director Debra Bogen said Wednesday. “Honestly, I had expected to see a surge in cases in September as our schools reopened and colleges returned, and I am thrilled that we’ve had a relatively quiet September.”
Twenty-eight of the cases reported Wednesday were probable, which Bogen said was due to an increasing use of antigen testing. Antigen testing searches for the presence of the virus’ proteins. They are easier to administer and produce faster results, but can also be less reliable.
Bogen said she expects the use of antigen tests to increase, as they are especially used at universities, long-term care facilities and sports teams. She reminded residents that probable results produced by antigen tests are not used to factor in the county’s percent positivity rating.
Fitzgerald on Wednesday also encouraged voters to take advantage of mail-in ballots in the approaching election. More than 300,000 voters have so far applied for the ballots, he said, describing the system as safe and secure.
“Regardless of what you’re hearing out there, it’s probably the best way to do it,” he said. “We want to keep people safe and give people the opportunity to participate in our democratic process and do it in a safe manner.”
