Despite the recent spread of the COVID-19 virus in Snohomish and King counties, the Western Hockey League schedule will go on as planned this weekend.
“The Western Hockey League, the Everett Silvertips, and the Seattle Thunderbirds are closely monitoring the public health developments throughout the Pacific Northwest region,” WHL commissioner Ron Robison said in a statement to The Herald. “The safety of the public, our fans, our players and our staff remains of the utmost importance. Both the Everett Silvertips and Seattle Thunderbirds continue to work closely with their respective facilities.
“At this time, the WHL, the Everett Silvertips, and the Seattle Thunderbirds plan to proceed with all upcoming scheduled WHL games at both the Angel of the Winds Arena in Everett, and the accesso ShoWare Center in Kent. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the immediate health risk to the United States public is low. We will continue to monitor this situation closely and will adopt additional health and safety measures as recommended by local health authorities.”
On Thursday, Dr. Chris Spitters, the Snohomish Health District’s health officer, recommended that “group gatherings of more than 50 people be avoided or canceled” due to the coronavirus outbreak in the region, which would include Silvertips’ games at Angel of the Winds Arena, which average over 5,000 fans per game, based on announced attendance statistics.
The Silvertips hosted the Tri-City Americans on Friday and the Seattle Thunderbirds on Saturday. The Silvertips travel to Kent on Sunday to play the Thunderbirds at the ShoWare Center in Kent, Washington on Sunday.
Josh Horton covers the Silvertips for the Herald. Follow him on Twitter, @JoshHortonEDH
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