Coronavirus: Golden State Warriors To Play Before Empty Arena

Updated at 7:20 p.m.

The NBA on Wednesday night that it has suspended its season until further notice do to concerns about the coronavirus outbreak. It made the decision after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for COVID-19. ESPN reports the player is All-Star center Rudy Gobert.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — The Golden State Warriors announced Wednesday that the team will restrict fan access to its upcoming home games to protect against the potential spread of the novel coronavirus.

The Warriors will play the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday at Chase Center without fans, the team said in a statement.

In addition, events at the arena, including three concerts, will be canceled or postponed through March 21.

The team said it will offer full refunds to people with tickets to its Thursday home game or Sunday's scheduled Santa Cruz Warriors game against the Austin Spurs, which is being moved to the G League team's Kaiser Permanente Arena in Santa Cruz.

The Warriors announced the plan to play home games without fans shortly after the city of San Francisco announced a two-week ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people.

The NBA has also taken steps to reduce the potential spread of the virus, restricting locker room access for credentialed media members.

"We will continue to monitor this evolving situation closely to determine next steps for future games and events," the team said in a statement.

"We appreciate the understanding and patience of our fans, guests and partners during this unprecedented time."

According to the team, people with tickets to the postponed Tame Impala, Post Malone and Bell Biv Devoe concerts will receive a full refund of their ticket or an offer to exchange their ticket for a future rescheduled concert at Chase Center.

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