MIAMI (WSVN) - Miami Heat fans are getting ready to return to the American Airlines Arena on Wednesday night for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
Those fans will be greeted by some specially trained dogs who are real game-changers when it comes to detecting COVID-19.
The Miami Heat organization sent out a video of the COVID-19 detection dogs at work to let fans know what to expect when the AAA opens its doors to up to 2,000 fans on Thursday for the first time since the pandemic forced its closure to the public last year.
Four dogs in total will be at the arena to literally sniff out COVID-19 on fans before they can enter the game.
The COVID-sniffing dogs greeted a small group of friends and family of the Miami Heat headed into the AAA for their game against the Nuggets.
The guests didn’t seem to mind the dogs’ presence, showing appreciation for the extra layer of security in these pandemic times.
7News was given access to the dogs with Matthew Jafarian, the Heat’s executive vice president of business strategy.
“You would walk up to the arena as you normally would, we’ll ask you to stand in line, put your hands by your sides, the dog will simply walk past you,” Jafarian said. “If they don’t detect anything, they’ll continue to move on, and you’ll go into the arena, walk to the metal detectors as you normally would. If they do detect something on you, they’ll sit down by you, a gentle signal to the handler to let somebody know this person is presumptive positive and we’ll ask you to step out of the line, we’ll give you a refund and send you on your way.”
With only friends and family permitted, the Heat-Nuggets game had significantly fewer people than Thursday night’s Los Angeles Clippers game expects to have.
The wide distance between the two groups of fans in the lower bowl, as well as the dogs, is a preview of what fans should expect going forward.
About 1,500 or so fans, mostly season ticket-holders, will be allowed into the AAA for Thursday night’s game. It starts at 8 p.m., and masks are required.
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