A fan has tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the Kansas City Chiefs season-opening NFL game against the Houston Texans at Arrowhead Stadium. The Kansas City Health Department announced the news on Thursday.
The fan tested positive the next day after the Sept. 10 game. The Chiefs organization worked closely with the health department to identify and contact 10 people who had close contact with the fan. Accordingly, each of the 10 people have been tracked down and notified. The fans were all told to quarantine.
On Thursday, the Chiefs posted an official statement on the matter to their Twitter account. It said the club’s contact tracing mechanisms include parking and ticket scanning data, and video record review. And that precautionary measures they have in place showed that all involved were in compliance with mask mandates. In addition, the statement says Arrowhead Stadium’s COVID-19 plan reduced the potential exposure to a single seating area inside the stadium.
Chiefs and the Rest of the NFL Taking Precautions
Kansas City health director Dr. Rex Archer spoke about the far reach of the virus and acknowledged frustrations over COVID-19.
“I want to remind everyone that COVID-19 is anywhere and everywhere,” Archer said in his statement. “While we’re all tired of it, frustrated and even angry at how it has altered and stricken our lives and livelihoods, we must continue to think of those who have not and will not survive it.”
Previous to the start of the NFL season, teams canceled practices along with all preseason games due to COVID-19. The Chiefs-Texans matchup was the first NFL game of the season, and the first to play with fans in the seats.
Out of the 32 teams in the NFL, only the Chiefs, Dallas Cowboys, Cleveland Browns, Miami Dolphins and Indianapolis Colts allowed fans inside their stadiums for their Week 1 games. Each club allowed limited attendance with a decreased capacity of fans.
Arrowhead Stadium can normally seat up to 76,000 when its sold out. During the season opener, the team announced an attendance of 15,895 fans at the game – around 20 percent stadium capacity.
[H/T Yahoo! Sports]
