MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Reopening professional sports leagues in US is possible but in empty stadiums

“There's a way of doing that,” Fauci told US show “Good Luck America.” ”Nobody comes to the stadiums. Put (athletes) in big hotels, wherever you want to play”

The top US health and infectious disease specialist says the key to reopening professional sports leagues in America is to have the athletes play games in front of empty stadiums. Anthony Fauci, who is helping to coordinate the US response to the global coronavirus pandemic, said reliable antibody testing and fast results are also crucial to the return of sports.

“There's a way of doing that,” Fauci told US Snapchat show “Good Luck America.” ”Nobody comes to the stadiums. Put (athletes) in big hotels, wherever you want to play.

“Keep them very well-shriveled, but have them tested like every week and make sure they don't wind up infecting each other or their families, and just let them play the season out.”

Professional sports leagues are in gridlock due to the pandemic that has so far killed nearly 28,000 Americans. The NBA is pondering a similar model for getting their 2019-20 season restarted in either Las Vegas or the Bahamas.

The NBA shut down on Mar 11 after Utah Jazz centre Rudy Gobert tested positive for the virus, and the NHL, Major League Soccer and the PGA Tour quickly followed suit.

The PGA is reportedly considering a return on Jun 11 without fans in attendance, starting with the Texas Open, which was originally scheduled for the weekend of May 21-24.

The matches would not be played in front of fans, and the PGA may have to play on gallery-free courses for at least the months of June and July.

Eight Tour events were postponed on Mar 17. The PGA Championship and Masters were rescheduled for later in the season.

Major League Baseball's 2020 season, which was due to start Mar 26, is on hold, as is the LPGA tour and motor racing, while the NFL is just hoping it will be able to start its season on time in September.