The coronavirus pandemic has swept throughout the United States with areas like New York and New Jersey being the hardest hit. Now the state of Indiana is dealing with a tragic situation that involved attendees of a state playoff basketball game on March 6.
Since that game took place, five people have died of COVID-19 that attended the sectional semifinal matchup between Warren Central and North Central, according to USA Today. Family members of those five attendees believed that they contracted the coronavirus at the game.
"I feel like that's probably where we got it," Kay Johnson, who is the widow of one of the victims, told USA Today. "Too many have gotten sick who were there. The sad thing is we just didn't know. We didn't have the information to go on."
On March 6, Indiana reported its first positive case of the coronavirus. On the morning of the game, Indiana's state department health commissioner Dr. Kris Box announced that there was "no ongoing risk to the public," and advised Indiana residents to take precautions related to the virus.
Prior to the sectional semifinal playoff game, the Indiana High School Athletic Association were flooded with calls regarding the coronavirus and its relationship with the game. However, the schools and the IHSAA decided that it was safe to hold the game as originally scheduled.
"We will continue to monitor the developments and listen to medical experts and if it becomes necessary to make adjustments to high school sporting events, we will work with our member schools to take every precaution to ensure a healthy and safe environment for everyone involved," IHSAA said in a statement on March 6.
There were 63 games throughout Indiana on March 6, according to USA Today.
Just a week later, the majority of professional sports were put on pause after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19.
