It was reported last week by Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer that The Wells Fargo Center had recently received a high health-safety rating, something that could possibly speed up the process of opening up games to the public.
“The arena has been awarded the WELL health-safety rating for facility operations and management. It is a science-based, third-party-verified evaluation of the venue’s health and safety protocols.
The International WELL Building Institute awards the rating, which accesses new and existing buildings’ policies, protocols, and emergency plans to address pandemic challenges and broader health and safety issues in the future.”
In addition to this exciting update, we learned yesterday that the New York Knicks/Rangers will be permitting fans inside of MSG starting at the end of February.
Most NBA teams have decided against allowing fans into games this season, so Madison Square Gardens’ announcement came as a surprise to many.
All of this news has given hope to the city of Philadelphia that we may be allowed into the Wells Fargo Center to watch the Sixers at some point this season, maybe even sooner than expected.
Valerie Camillo, President of Business Operations for the Wells Fargo Center, doesn’t want fans to get too excited just yet. She stated to The Philadelphia Inquirer that the decision to open games to the Public will be a “collaborative effort”, involving the state, the city of Philadelphia, and of course health experts across the country.
You can’t blame fans for getting their hopes up, however. It has been a long 11 months since Sixers faithful were able to cheer on their favorite team at home.
Due to recent developments, I think it’s alright to remain optimistic for a return to live games sooner rather than later, as soon as it is safe to do so.
Featured Image: Charles Fox/The Philadelphia Inquirer
