Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new stay-at-home orders won’t keep Sacramento Kings off the court
The Kings will be permitted to continue their preparation for the 2020-21 NBA season even if Sacramento is placed under a regional stay-at-home order, according to guidelines issued by the governor’s office.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said Thursday new stay-at-home orders will be issued in counties where available intensive care unit capacity in hospitals drops below 15%. Newsom said the Greater Sacramento Region is on pace to reach that threshold in the coming days as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
The new order would prohibit private gatherings of any size, close sector operations except for critical infrastructure and retail, and require 100% masking and physical distancing at all times, according to guidelines issued by the state. The order would remain in place for at least three weeks and would not be lifted until the region’s projected ICU capacity meets or exceeds 15%.
The Kings have less than three weeks to prepare for the start of the season, but the new order will not prevent them from training in their practice facility, playing games at Golden 1 Center or traveling to play games outside of Sacramento.
Under the stay-at-home order, indoor and outdoor playgrounds, indoor recreational facilities, salons, movie theaters, bars and other establishments must close. Live-audience sporting events are not permitted either, but professional sports can continue without live audiences, according to the governor’s office.
The Kings issued a brief statement to the Sacramento Bee following Newsom’s announcement.
“We will continue to adhere to all state and local public health guidelines and NBA health and safety protocols,” the team said.
The Kings began training camp earlier this week under strict NBA protocols. The team is currently limited to individual player workouts with no more than four players allowed in the practice facility at a time. Group workouts are scheduled to begin Sunday. The Kings will play four preseason games Dec. 11-19 before the regular season begins Dec. 22.
This story was originally published December 3, 2020 at 4:39 PM.
