Feel Sick? Don’t Come To NJ Devils Games For Now, Team Says

NEWARK, NJ — The New Jersey Devils hockey team is asking fans who feel sick – even if they don't show symptoms of coronavirus – to stay home for now, starting with Tuesday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The matchup, set for 7 p.m. at the Prudential Center in Newark, will proceed as scheduled, the team said. Earlier in the day, officials announced that New Jersey has seen its first fatality related to the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19.

State health officials have maintained that most New Jersey residents are at "very low risk" of contracting COVID-19.

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Devils officials said their decision to continue Tuesday’s game as planned is consistent with NHL guidelines. However, the team is asking certain people to stay home from Tuesday’s game – and future games until further notice:

• Guests who are feeling sick, regardless of their symptoms
• Guests who have traveled to, or been in close contact with someone who has traveled to, one of the high risk areas as outlined by the CDC in the past 14 days, even if asymptomatic
• Guests who have been in contact with an individual diagnosed with COVID-19 within the past 14 days, even if asymptomatic
• Guests who have been diagnosed with COVID-19
• Guests with underlying health conditions, in particular, respiratory or cardiac issues

The Devils told fans who plan to attend Tuesday’s game to follow hygiene guidelines outlined by the CDC.

“We recognize that this may cause inconvenience, and we appreciate your cooperation so that we can protect the health and safety of all in attendance,” Devils spokespeople said.

WHAT IS COVID-19?

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that include the common cold as well as much more serious diseases. The strain that emerged in China in late 2019, now called COVID-19, is related to others that have caused serious outbreaks in recent years, including severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). The first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the U.S. was on Jan. 21.

The disease, which apparently originated in animals, is now transferring from person to person, although the mechanism is not yet fully understood. Its symptoms include fever, coughing and shortness of breath, and many patients develop pneumonia. There is as yet no vaccine against COVID-19 it and no antiviral treatment.

According to the CDC, the best way of preventing the disease is to avoid close contact with people who are sick, to avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands, to wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, and to use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol if soap and water are not available.

To avoid spreading any respiratory illness, the CDC recommends staying at home when you are sick, covering your cough or sneeze with a tissue and throwing the tissue in the trash, cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces.

The CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a face mask to protect themselves from respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. You should only wear a mask if a health care professional recommends it. A face mask should be used by people who have COVID-19 and are showing symptoms. This is to protect others from the risk of getting infected. The use of face masks also is crucial for health workers and other people who are taking care of someone infected with COVID-19 in close settings (at home or in a health care facility).

Residents who have questions about the virus can contact the State of New Jersey's hotline at 1 (800) 222-1222. The hotline is home of the New Jersey Poison Information and Education System, and is staffed 24 hours a day by state health workers.

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