Johns Hopkins Bans Fans from D3 Basketball Tournament Games Due to Coronavirus

Johns Hopkins University announced Thursday it won't allow spectators to attend games it is hosting in the first two rounds of the Division III NCAA basketball tournament because of confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Maryland, where the school is located.

JHU released a statement about the decision:

"In light of Maryland's recently confirmed cases of COVID-19, and based on CDC guidance for large gatherings, we have determined that it is prudent to hold this tournament without spectators. We are not making any determination about other JHU events at this time; while we await further guidance from public health authorities, we will be assessing large events on a case-by-case basis. We regret any inconvenience to the families and fans of the players."

The first-round matchups scheduled for the Goldfarb Gymnasium on Friday feature the WPI Engineers taking on the Yeshiva Maccabees and the Penn State Harrisburg Nittany Lions facing off with the host Johns Hopkins Blue Jays.

Winners from those games will meet Saturday in the second round.

Christina Maxouris and Steve Almasy of CNN reported the latest statistics as of Friday morning show at least 228 coronavirus cases, including three involving Maryland residents, and 14 deaths as a result of the disease in the United States.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidelines for large gatherings and told event organizers to urge people who are sick, even if it's not a confirmed case of coronavirus, to stay home.