Worried about coronavirus at Kansas City’s Big 12 tourney? Experts say how to be safe
Ten teams
Four days.
Thousands of out-of-town visitors.
One coronavirus that can take what’s supposed to be a wildly fun Big 12 men’s basketball tournament, which was set to start at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Sprint Center, and cast it under a shadow of worry.
Then the women’s tournament at Municipal Auditorium begins Thursday and runs to Sunday. The questions are the same:
Is that fan seated next to you coughing? Should you wear a mask? Should they? Where’s the nearest gallon of hand sanitizer? And what about eating among all those people?
To keep players safe, reporters this year aren’t allowed into team locker rooms for postgame interviews. Who’s keeping you safe?
Mostly, that will be you — although the venues are helping.
The Sprint Center is following what spokeswoman Shani Tate Ross said are the recommendation of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Kansas City Health Department and other health officials.
Vendors at the 18,500-seat arena will certainly be wearing gloves, staff received added training on health and safety procedures, more staff will be cleaning “high touch” areas throughout the arena before, after and during games. Hundreds of hand sanitizing stations have been added.
Guests will see signs outlining CDC precautions.
“We’re doing full cleans on all facilities,” meaning both Sprint Center and Municipal Auditorium, Bob Bowlsby, the Big 12 commissioner, said Tuesday at a Kansas City press conference. “We’re encouraging people with pre-existing conditions to consider staying out of crowds. … I think we’re applying best practice when it comes to ensuring the venues are safe and the interactions are safe. But it’s a constantly evolving environment.”
On Wednesday morning, Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas said the city does not plan to cancel upcoming events, including the Big 12 tournaments, but recommends “the following groups consider avoiding large events: (1) immunocompromised persons; (2) persons over 60 w/any health conditions; (3) all persons over 70.”
Bowlsby acknowledged that some people may just be too concerned this year to attend.
“It wouldn’t be entirely surprising,” he said, “if we had some people who consider themselves in the range of higher risk who would stay home.”
Restaurant safety
A number of restaurants in the Power & Light District alongside Sprint Center and near Municipal Auditorium are urging patrons to consider ordering food to be picked up or delivered to reduce crowding.
Johnny’s Tavern, across from Sprint Center, is so packed during the annual event that it only offers a limited menu. “We are wiping down things more than ever,” said owner Louie Riederer.
Jo Marie Scaglia, owner of The Mixx, also in the district, said her staff is following standard health department guidelines, making sure all employees wash their hands every time they reenter the kitchen.
“Everyone is sold out of sanitation wipes. We just got a shipment today and have more on back order,” Scaglia said. “So we have them here for our guests. And they also can order (food) online and pick up — with no interaction — at the shelving windows.”
Ryan Barrows, vice president of operations at Country Road Ice House BBQ & Bar, said in a statement that although sanitation is always a top priority in the restaurant business, it’s now “on the forefront of our entire society.”
He said he has been telling staff, if they are sick, stay home. If they have a fever or cough, seek medical attention. Inside his restaurant he is having staff wipe every heavily used surface — door handles, handrails, faucets and toilet handles — every two hours.
How to avoid coronavirus
Since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in China in late 2019, the World Health Organization reports that more than 110,000 people have been infected in more than 100 countries so far, including the United States. The illness, with a 2.5 percent fatally rate, has killed some 4,000 people.
Single cases of the virus were reported over the weekend in Johnson County, the first documented in Kansas, and in St. Louis County, the first in Missouri.
“Right now the professionals are telling us we can run this tournament without a risk to public health,” Lucas said Tuesday. “At this point we still have one case in Missouri, one case in Kansas of coronavirus. That’s part of the reason you haven’t seen cancellations on a large scale in the Kansas City area yet, and we’ll continue to hold onto that until things change.”
The CDC has continued to emphasize a host or precautions against the virus known as COVID-19, including:
▪ Stay home if you’re ill, other than to get medical care. People over the age of 60, with pre-existing health conditions such as heart disease, lung disease and diabetes, appear to be most at risk for becoming seriously ill. Older Americans are being told to avoid crowds as much as possible.
▪ Wear a mask around other people if you’re ill. If you’re not sick, there’s no need to wear a mask.
▪ Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze or use the inside of your elbow.
▪ Throw used tissues in the trash
▪ Immediately wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or clean your hands with hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
▪ Don’t touch your face with unwashed hands.
Fans at the games, meantime, not only should avoid sharing drinks and food, they might also think twice about high-fiving that stranger.
If you do, wash your hands.
Includes reporting by The Star’s Blair Kerkhoff and Lisa Gutierrez.
This story was originally published March 11, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
