The Kansas City Chiefs were one of the few NFL teams to allow fans inside their stadium for the first week of games. Now it looks like their calculated risk may have backfired.
On Thursday, the team announced that fan who was in attendance at Arrowhead Stadium has tested positive for COVID-19.
As a result, the Kansas City Health Department has told 10 fans to quarantine after possibly being exposed to the virus, according to the Kansas City Star. The fans were watching the game from a box with the fan who tested positive. The health department’s disease investigation team used contact tracing to track down those who might have been exposed.
"I want to remind everyone that COVID-19 is anywhere and everywhere," Kansas City’s health director, Dr. Rex Archer, said. "While we’re all tired of it, frustrated and even angry at how it has altered and stricken our lives and livelihoods, we must continue to think of those who have not and will not survive it"
The Chiefs defended their decision to allow fans into the stadium, claiming that their strict COVID-19 protocols were followed.
"The individual and the individual's group were seated in the lower level of the stadium. By design, the stadium's COVID protocol plan limited potential exposure to a single seating zone within the stadium," the statement reads. "All staff with known interactions with the positive case were required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE), including a mask. Additionally, the protocols in place at the stadium require all attendees to be wearing masks inside the stadium."
The NFL's decision to move forward with the football season and allow some stadiums to host fans has been a hot button issue in recent months. Now, after learning of the positive test, those who opposed opening the games to spectators are using this incident as an opportunity to publicly say "I told you so."
Despite what happened at Arrowhead, several teams are still moving forward with their plans to up capacity levels as the season continues.
