The NBA season still has a long way to go. While the finals are not until June, games may be played without fans in the arenas if the spread of COVID-19 accelerates and the death toll worsens.
Italian soccer games in some parts of the country are being played in front of empty seats. Malls have started to lose customers. Some airports are almost empty. Whether or not the reasons for this are an overreaction, they are a reality and could be for some time.
The virus is currently concentrated on the west coast, and particularly in the Seattle area. The first case has been discovered in New York City and another in Rhode Island. Because the Seattle outbreak involves several people, city and county officials have begun emergency measures.
Because the virus is so contagious and people can have it without symptoms for as long as two weeks, it is particularly dangerous in public places. That makes it more likely that places where people are close to one another are particularly worrisome to officials. The most extreme example is that Japan has closed all of its schools for a month.
The chance that at least some NBA games will be played in empty areas is rising. In some markets, teams are used to playing in front of 20,000 people. Instead, the roar of the crowd may become an eerie quietness.
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