Back in September, we shared a story about the Helsinki airport deploying dogs to sniff out covid-19. Now, the Miami Heat basketball team will use the same strategy to offer a safer in-person basketball experience to a limited number of fans.
The team of dedicated pups has been training for months to sniff out the presence of Covid-19 in humans. Starting this week, the dogs will head to AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami to screen a handful of fans, mostly family members and friends of players, before they enjoy the games. The trial run of this system will be in the Heat’s home game against the Los Angeles Clippers tomorrow night.
Fans arriving at the arena will walk through a screening area where they will be sniffed by dogs before entering. Guests who are allergic or afraid of dogs can submit to a rapid test instead.
Although the dogs have been successful in rooting out Covid-19 in airports over the past months, stadium capacity is still being kept at 10 percent and guests will be asked to complete a health questionnaire before entering. Fans will also be spread out throughout the arena to practice social distancing and masks will be required.
