Sixers

Philadelphia Extends COVID Restrictions Until January 15th

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Dec 22nd, 2020 · 3:10 PM EST

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Get ready to watch the Sixers and Flyers on the couch again this season, because fans aren’t getting anywhere near the Sports Complex.

The City of Philadelphia is extending COVID restrictions through mid-January.

From Eyewitness News:

Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said Tuesday restrictions for the riskiest businesses, like indoor dining and casinos, will now last through Jan. 15.

The city’s Safer at Home restrictions were initially supposed to expire Jan. 1. Pennsylvania’s restrictions are expected to end Jan. 4.

“Based on the data and the spikes following the holidays, we believe it’s too risky to end all of our current restrictions on either Jan. 1 or Jan. 4. We need to get past that spike before it’s safe to back off,” Dr. Farley said.

Of course, “Indoor organized sports” is on the list of high-risk settings.

Based on some conversations I’ve had with “sources close to the situation,” I would not expect fans to be back at The Wells Fargo Center until late spring, and that’s the very best case scenario. Likely we’ll have to get deep into the Sixers’ and Flyers’ seasons before we go back to a limited capacity for indoor sports, maybe back to the 10% threshold the state Commonwealth of Pennsylvania originally set during the summer. That’s dependent on how the vaccine is distributed and how the city decides to proceed. As you’re all aware, the restrictions are much tighter in the city limits than they are out here in the suburbs.

For now, it will be essential workers and media allowed in the building for Sixers games. That would appear to be the case for the Flyers as well, though the NHL is a few weeks behind the NBA in their return to play.

Edit –

Dave asked Farley about the Flyers possibly playing outdoors:

With the Reports of Several #NHL teams looking to move some home games to outdoors, Would the City of #Philadelphia sign off on it

I asked @PHLPublicHealth Dr. Farley about it#Flyers #outdoorHockey pic.twitter.com/BwMC4l8hN7

— David Malandra Jr (@DaveMReports) December 22, 2020