(WSVN) - The Miami Heat will begin the 2020-2021 NBA season without fans in attendance.
The team announced Thursday there will be no fans for their one home preseason game on Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans and for their season opener on Christmas Day.
In addition to the protocols put in place by the NBA, the Heat are exploring other safety options once it’s determined fans are allowed into the AmericanAirlines Arena.
Under the tentative plan, fans would be would screened by COVID-19 detection dogs before they enter the arena.
The Heat said the canine use is pain-free, fast, accurate and non-invasive.
A canine’s sense of smell is 1,000 to 100 million times more sensitive than that of a human’s.
The team notes that COVID-19 detection dogs are being used at Helsinki Airport in Finland, and the early results are promising.
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