New York professional sports leagues can begin spring training, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday.
That includes teams and athletes part of MLB, the NBA, WNBA, NFL, NHL, U.S. Tennis Association and Major League Soccer.
The teams must follow appropriate health protocols, the governor said.
Last week, Cuomo encouraged major sports teams in the state to reopen without fans, a point he repeated at Sunday’s daily press briefing.
“I believe sports can come back without having people in the stadium and in the arena,” Cuomo said. “Work out the economics if you can. We want people to be able to watch sports, to the extent people are staying home. It gives people something to do and is a return to normalcy.”
Most live sports have been shut down since March due to the coronavirus pandemic. Last Sunday, NASCAR held its first race since lockdown measures began in South Carolina.
New York continues to reopen its economy this week. Campgrounds can reopen on Monday, followed by veterinarian offices on Tuesday, Cuomo said.
The mid-Hudson region and Long Island are still on track to reopen Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, the governor said.
There were 109 daily deaths in the state from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, Cuomo said Sunday.
