By: Jared Evan
In the Orwellian COVID induced reality, socialization has basically been eliminated over the last year as bureaucrats, frequently with zero medical knowledge have created hundreds of new ordinances to allegedly “stop the spread”. In small increments, after the vaccines being distributed more widely and caseloads dropping, humans are slowly being allowed to engage in a resemblance of normalcy, and people starved of live entertainment, particularly live sporting events are reeling to have a night out.
In NYC, fans are finally being allowed to attend basketball games at Madison Square Garden and Barclay’s center. The precautions taken at the games were strict. The number of tickets are capped at 10 percent capacity, or about 2,000 per game; attendees are required to present a negative COVID test taken within the previous 72 hours; and social distancing and mask-wearing are aggressively enforced.
While in Brooklyn Nets’ fans can get an instant COVID test for free as they walk thru the gates of the Barkley’s Center, Knick fans have to either present paperwork proving they had a negative COVID test within 72 hours or go to a nearby testing clinic, drop $250 a pop.
The draconian rules do not stop with just proof of a negative test. The NY Post pointed out: the state requires fans to get the more sensitive and accurate PCR, or polymerase chain reaction, tests. Unlike a rapid test, which can give a result in a few minutes, PCR test results can take hours or days. PCR tests are not exactly accurate either, as TJV News has reported extensively that the PCR tests are cycled too high, often producing false positives.
While Barclay’s Center is providing free instant PCR tests, MSG is not and fans have to go to Rapid Test NYC, who are able to produce a PCR test rapidly.
The testing firm set up a makeshift clinic inside a Stewart Hotel conference room, across 8th Avenue from MSG, where it is administering PCR tests with a promised 30-minute turnaround time.
“If a fan didn’t get tested, they’re not going to let them in the game, and that sucks,” said Mark Golberg, who is running the Stewart Hotel Rapid Test NYC center and two other brick-and-mortar locations in Nolita and on East 72nd Street.
“So they have to come to us,” Goldberg said. “Or they actually took a test at City MD or what have you and the results aren’t ready in time. We’re the last resort.”
Proof of taking the vaccine is not enough evidently, much like when flying. TJV spoke to a psychologist from Park Slope who had both doses of the vaccine and produced a negative COVID test from a week before flying, was still forced to shell out $300 for an instant test at JFK.
