What do sports games, Fourth of July celebrations, music festivals, and street parades have in common? They are all chances to kick back and relax, catch up with friends and family, celebrate the season and make new memories. Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in February 2020, all such events were forced to be stopped abruptly and lockdowns were imposed. It was immediately obvious that people would miss their close friends and family members who they were unable to visit. It was less obvious that people would also miss the hordes in their local shopping centers, queuing for a big match, or jostling with strangers to order a drink at the bar. Since the lockdown, we’ve all have been craving to be with other human beings in crowds. It is simply human nature. Being in crowds feels healthy, meaningful, and life-affirming and we’re built to always want that. When the lockdown was lifted with restrictions it was a huge sigh of relief and we all started going out a little while wearing a mask and splashing sanitizers on our hands now and then. Going out to buy groceries or going outside for a takeout felt like a trip to the amusement park.
Finally, things are starting to settle down and the committees and various sports federations have confirmed the 2020 – 2021 season for sports all across the United States. This means we all can enjoy watching our favorite games live, once again. Of course, things won’t be the same as they were before Covid struck us all and turned everything upside down. The management is trying to create a plan to strike a delicate balance between allowing spectators and enforcing safety protocols to reduce the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus. Plans include spaced out tailgating, temperature checks for fans filing in, offering only 25% of the full seating capacity, cashless concessions, cleaning escalators and elevators, selling edible items in sealed containers, opening the giant doors, monitoring restrooms, the use of seating pods spread out across the stadiums to keep people apart, etc. The authorities are doing all they can to make the stadiums safe for the audience but even the tiniest of ignorance can simply turn the stadium or arena into a petri dish for any type of virus. The human desire to gather and be close to each other is a deeper behavioral need than we might expect and that results in us unknowingly doing acts like high-fiving, hugging, taking group selfies, making group Snapchat and Instagram videos, and chanting with arms around each other’s shoulders, especially when celebrating, and when it comes to sports that happens quite often. In this article we’ve given a rundown of the things you should take care of and what you should do to stay safe while attending a high crowd game and cherish the experience, rather than regretting it.
Wear a Mask at All Times
Wearing a facemask is one of the most important and effective methods to protect yourself from the novel Coronavirus especially when it comes to attending a high crowd game. The attendees might contain themselves and stay calm and composed at the beginning but a sleek pass from Tom Brady or a nice windmill alley-oop from LeBron can get everyone on their feet and yell and chant and sing and they’ll all forget about the virus at that moment. This yelling and chanting and singing can easily transfer the droplets coming out of the mouth of one attendee to another. Even one asymptomatic person can easily spread the virus throughout the stadium. Whereas on the other hand if everyone is wearing a mask, all the droplets will be contained inside the mask, which will result in zero spread. Another way in which a mask can keep you safe is that by wearing it, you automatically stop yourself from touching your face. Since the virus is a respiratory virus and it won’t find an opening because of the mask, the chances of getting infected almost finishes. So wearing a mask at all times is a sort of compulsion.
Sanitize Your Hands Frequently
Sanitizing your hands frequently with at least 60% alcohol-based sanitizer can save you from contracting the virus. We use our hands to grab items, grab handrails, handle cash, press elevator buttons, etc. All these places are the most frequently touched surfaces and have a high probability of carrying the coronavirus. We then again use our hands to touch our eyes, nose, and mouth without even realizing it and may infect ourselves with the virus. A lot of people may take care of it at first but then as time passes by and everyone gets comfortable, people forget about it and stop taking care of it. This is why keeping your hands clean and sanitizing them after touching any shared surface is very important. These sanitizers kill the virus and other germs that may be on our hands and save us from infecting ourselves and passing the virus on to others as well. Another thing that you can do is instead of shaking hands or high-fiving your friends and family, you could do moves such as the elbow bump, etc. this way your hands will stay clean.
Keep Your Distance and Avoid Physical Contact
Sure, the stadiums and arenas are following the guidelines given to them and are only allowing only 25% of their capacity to be filled to maintain proper distancing. With that being said there still are a few places that tend to crowd up and can ruin the social distancing you’ve been maintaining. These places mostly are the ticketing booths, stadium entrances, parking lots, restrooms during half-time, entry and exit routes, etc. These places are usually crowded and the volume of people is so great that it sometimes gets difficult to control the crowd. These are the places where you’ve got to channel your inner-Peyton Manning and simply call the “Omaha!” play and move to open space. Ask other fans to follow and clear out space and move out or wherever in an orderly fashion while following the guidelines. The Coronavirus spreads easily in crowds and maintaining a nice distance (6 feet distance) can stop. Wear Face Masks prevent the spread and keep you and all the others safe. Some other tips that can help you maintain your distance and avoid physical contact are, firstly arrive early at the venue so that you don’t have to face a crowd when entering. Go for e-tickets rather than standing in the line. Next when you walk in choose the less crowded seating area. Avoid using the restroom during peak times such as halftime or right after the game ends. When the game ends, stay put in your seat and wait for the crowd to move out. Remember, whenever you spot a large crowd, just wait and let the congestion minimize. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Eat and Drink Safely
You can never enjoy a game without chowing down on snacks, especially corn dogs, churros, burgers, etc. With the covid restrictions now in action, we can’t get those yummy delights at the stadiums and arenas like we used to. The SOPs require these goods to be given in sealed cans. This is why you should bring your plates and utensils to the game. Use these disposable items and put them in a bag to dispose of when the coast is clear. Sharing is excellent but in these times you better skip it. You should also eat and drink quickly so that your mask doesn’t stay away from your face for a long time. You can also get or bring in single-use condiment packets. This way each person can have his or her condiment and dispose of their empty packs with ease. You should also avoid using the shared drinking fountains, etc.
Follow these tips at all costs and remain patient. Nobody knows how problematic mass gatherings will prove to be. So taking extra care will always be helpful. Stick to these guidelines and enjoy the game without any worries, and keep yourself and your loved ones safe from the Covid-19 pandemic.
