Fans are no longer allowed to attend Toronto Raptors home games in Tampa Bay, Florida.
On Saturday, Amalie Arena announced in a statement that the Tampa Bay Lightning will start their season without fans due to "concerns caused by the recent rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across Hillsborough County and west central Florida."
“As we review current data and COVID-19 modeling for the next few weeks in the Tampa Bay area, we do not believe it is prudent to admit fans inside the arena at this time," Lightning president Steve Griggs said, per Blake Murphy of The Athletic.
The Raptors, who are playing their home games at Amalie Arena for at least the first half of the 2020-21 NBA season because of COVID-19 travel restrictions between Canada and the United States, are also impacted by the decision.
We will no longer have fans at upcoming @TBLightning and @Raptors home games due to the recent rise in COVID-19 cases. pic.twitter.com/2kQSxDZ9Hg
— Amalie Arena (@AmalieArena) January 9, 2021
The Raptors were one of six teams that started the NBA season allowing fans in a limited capacity (18.5 percent).
The Raptors will play their next home game at Amalie Arena on Jan. 14.
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