MIAMI (CelebrityAccess) — National Basketball Association team the Miami Heat announced plans to have fans in the stands for the first time in months after deploying a novel new way to screen for people infected with COVID-19.
According to a statement on the team’s website, the Heat will use dogs that have been specifically trained to detect the virus with their sensitive noses.
According to a video posted on the team’s website, the dogs will be walked past fans upon arrival. If the dog detects the disagreeable effluvia of COVID-19, it is trained to sit down, indicating a positive hit.
Fans who the dogs indicate are infected will be barred from entry for the game and the dog check will be mandatory for all fans wishing to enter American Airlines Arena. However, fans who would prefer not to be screened by canines can opt for an alternative testing method at no additional cost, but which may take up to 45 minutes to complete, the team said.
According to the Heat, the dogs can often detect infections in people who are asymptomatic, and they have been trained not to trigger on people who have been vaccinated but are otherwise not infected with COVID-19.
Despite the addition of the virus-detecting dogs, American Airlines Arena will still operate at a reduced capacity and fans who do attend games must wear masks and observe social distancing requirements that include eating and drinking only in designated areas.
