Heat ends mask mandate for games at FTX Arena. A look at the updated COVID-19 guidelines
Just one day after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased its mask guidelines that were in place to slow the spread of COVID-19, the Miami Heat announced it’s doing the same.
The Heat announced ahead of Saturday night’s home game against the San Antonio Spurs: “Effective immediately, per the latest CDC and Miami-Dade County recommendations, mask wearing will now be strongly recommended throughout FTX Arena for all guests other than in the red zone where it will still be mandated for all Miami Heat home games. Masking requirements for non-Heat events will be subject to promoter preference.”
While “strongly recommended,” guests are now not mandated to wear a mask for Heat games at FTX Arena unless their ticket is for a seat within 15 feet of the court, which the team has labeled the “Red Zone.” The current estimation for “Red Zone” seats at FTX Arena is about 700.
Previously this season, all guests, including those fully vaccinated, over 2 years old were required to wear a mask for games at FTX Arena unless they were actively eating or drinking.
This change for Heat home games comes after the CDC announced Friday that it’s no longer advised to wear masks in public when indoors for most who are healthy in the United States based on new metrics being considered to “help communities decide what prevention steps to take based on the latest data.”
About 70 percent of the U.S. is living in an area with low or medium COVID-19 community levels, according to the agency, as of Thursday. Those who are healthy in these areas aren’t recommended to mask up in indoor public settings.
Also on Friday, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced that masks are no longer required in Miami-Dade County’s libraries, government offices and park facilities as the county’s COVID-19 “crisis” approach toward COVID-19 comes to an end.
For those over 2 years old seated in the “Red Zone” or with tickets that grant access to this area, guests will still have three options for entry into FTX Arena: Show proof of full vaccination, show proof of a negative COVID-19 test (PCR or rapid antigen test results are accepted) or take a free rapid antigen test at the arena.
A no bag policy remains in effect at FTX Arena. Exceptions will be made for small bags, as well as medical and infant bags.
In addition, the entire arena, including all merchandise stations, concession stands, bars, and premium dining spaces, remains cashless. Accepted forms of payment include credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and NFC chip enabled cards. Reverse ATMs are also located on site to convert cash into a prepaid debit card.
The Heat began last season in December 2020 with no fans in attendance for home games amid the pandemic before allowing a limited crowd to attend in January 2021. Miami then slowly increased capacity throughout last season and eventually allowed up to 17,000 fans to attend games during its first-round playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks in May.
The Heat opened this season in a home arena operating at its full capacity of 19,600.
For more information on what to expect while attending Heat games at FTX Arena, visit the team’s COVID-19 fan safety website.
HEAT LOVE IN NEW YORK
“Let’s Go Heat” chants have met the Heat at various road arenas this season. It happened again in the Heat’s 115-100 road win over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, the home of one of Miami’s biggest rivals over the years.
“I just think that’s all strange. That’s weird to me,” coach Erik Spoelstra said of hearing pro-Heat chants at Madison Square Garden. “You know who my boss is. That was my introduction to this league is those Heat-Knicks battles and everything that came with that, particularly in the Garden. But hey, we’ve been dealing with that for years with Knicks fans at our place, so it’s probably apropos to turn the tables now.”
The Heat and Knicks met in the playoffs in four straight seasons from 1997-2000, and they were heated matchups. Those series came a few years after Pat Riley abruptly left the Knicks to become the Heat’s coach and president in 1995.
BUTLER SPEAKS
Heat star Jimmy Butler was fined $25,000 “for violating league rules governing media interview access and for his noncompliance with the resulting NBA investigation,” the league announced in a statement on Friday. The fine stemmed from Butler choosing not to speak to the media following Sunday’s All-Star Game in Cleveland.
When asked about the fine following Friday night’s win in New York, Butler said: “I’m lucky I got a good teammate like [P.J. Tucker], who said he was going to cover my fine. So I’m not tripping. I love you, Tuck.”
Butler also joked that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau doesn’t talk to him anymore. Thibodeau served as Butler’s head coach with the Chicago Bulls and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Asked why Thibodeau has stopped speaking to him, Butler responded with a smile: “I don’t know, man. He’s mad at me because we beat him all the time.”
The Heat won its fifth straight game against the Knicks on Friday. Miami has won nine of its last 10 matchups against New York.
▪ The Heat remains without Markieff Morris (return to competition reconditioning) and Victor Oladipo (right knee injury recovery) on Saturday against the Spurs. Dewayne Dedmon, who has missed the last three games, is listed as questionable with lower back spasms.
Those are the only three Heat players on the injury report for Saturday’s game.
▪ Developmental forward Haywood Highsmith’s first standard 10-day deal with the Heat expired following Friday’s game. The Heat plans to bring him back on a second 10-day contract, according to a league source.
Haywood’s second 10-day deal with Miami was not yet official as of Saturday afternoon.
NBA teams are allowed to sign a player to two standard 10-day contracts before they are forced to sign them for the rest of the season if they want to retain them.
This story was originally published February 26, 2022 at 11:35 AM.
