Penguins to play home games as scheduled, but could Thursday in Columbus be fan-less?

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The parade is off. But the games will go on.

Hours after the city of Pittsburgh announced it was canceling the popular annual St. Patrick’s Day parade scheduled for Saturday, the Pittsburgh Penguins announced they would play their game the next day as scheduled. The Penguins said they will allow fans into PPG Paints Arena, too.

The Penguins are choosing to disregard a government advisory that either directly or indirectly requests games not be played because of concerns over coronavirus.

“The Pittsburgh Penguins are aware of the most recent guidance and recommendations from the Allegheny County Health Department,” read a statement from the Penguins. “We have been in regular contact with the National Hockey League, the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and various health authorities and have determined that, based upon the facts before us, our scheduled home games at PPG Paints Arena, including Sunday’s game against the New York Islanders, will go on as scheduled in front of fans.”

The Penguins have been in regular contact with the NHL, the city, county, and health authorities and have determined that, based upon the facts before us, home games, including Sunday’s game against NYI, will go on as scheduled in front of fans.

Details: https://t.co/q1io4iptWk pic.twitter.com/idVZ6Ukmeq

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 11, 2020

The county health department’s statement earlier Wednesday with “guidance and recommendations” for dealing with covid-19. The first such recommendation in the county statement reads: “Avoid large events and mass gatherings, as well as other settings where you would have close contact (within six feet) with a large group of people.”

Citing “recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to avoid mass gatherings and observe social distancing,” the city on Wednesday morning announced the St. Patrick’s Day parade will not be staged downtown for the first time since 1949. The Pittsburgh parade dates to 1869.

In light of the probability that the county will have presumptive positive cases of #COVID19, officials are updating their guidance and recommendations to minimize any potential spread. Learn more: https://t.co/HP3NIx9j4p.

— Allegheny County Health Department (@HealthAllegheny) March 11, 2020

The Penguins practiced in an empty Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus on Wednesday, a venue less than a mile from the Ohio Statehouse, where Ohio governor Mike DeWine on Tuesday decreed that indoor sporting events should only take place without spectators.

Hours after DeWine made that declaration, though, the Blue Jackets announced that their games would continued to be played in front of fans.

DeWine, though, on Wednesday posted on his verified Twitter account that his recommendation “will become an order.”

The Penguins, for their part, acknowledged elevated safety procedures for their game Sunday, including:

• Sanitary gloves worn by food handlers, ticket takers, ushers and suite attendants
• Regular cleaning of escalator handrails, stairway railings, door handles and elevator buttons with disinfectant
• Regular cleaning and sanitizing of arena public areas and rest rooms
• Reconfiguration of common food-serving areas and services
• CDC advisory signs posted in rest rooms, advising fans of safety recommendations for washing hands, etc.
• Hand sanitizers placed around the arena

The team also asked fans who are sick or who traveled abroad to stay home.

Through Wednesday afternoon, Pennsylvania has 14 confirmed cases of the virus, all in the eastern part of the state. Allegheny County has not confirmed any cases of coronavirus.

Keep up with the Pittsburgh Penguins all season long.