Miami Heat to Use Dogs to Sniff Fans for COVID-19 at AmericanAirlines Arena

A limited number of fans will be allowed to attend Miami Heat games at AmericanAirlines Arena if they can pass a screening test from dogs trained to detect COVID-19.

According to the Associated Press, the dogs have already been in use to sniff out the virus among friends and family of players and team personnel who have been allowed as spectators this season.

The general public will be allowed to attend beginning Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers, and season-ticket holders can guarantee their tickets starting Monday.

At the games, dogs will walk past fans, and if a dog sits, that means the virus has been found and that person will not be allowed in.

Fans who are allergic to or afraid of dogs are in luck, as individuals will have the option to complete a rapid antigen test that takes less than 45 minutes to process. 

According to the AP report, a German study discovered that dogs can detect the virus 94 percent of the time, and dogs are used in a similar fashion in airports in Dubai and Helsinki. 

In addition to being checked by dogs or undergoing the test, fans will have to fill out a mandatory health questionnaire and wear masks throughout the duration of their stay, and concessions will be limited to water and soda with no cash transactions accepted. Isolation rooms will be available if a fan falls ill during the game. 

The defending Eastern Conference champions will fill less than 10 percent of the building's capacity with attendance hovering under 2,000. The arena has sold out the past 451 games, the sixth-longest streak in NBA history.