The Wells Fargo Center will be closed on Thursday. Amid concerns over holding large public events as the coronavirus pandemic spreads, Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center will be canceled until March 31.
Its closure takes place less than 12 hours after the NBA suspended its season over coronavirus concerns. The center said the closure is needed for a deep cleaning.
NBC Sports Philadelphia employees, whose office is inside the Wells Fargo Center, were notified early Thursday morning that the Wells Fargo Center will be closed for a deep cleaning, according to two sources not authorized to speak publicly.
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“I got word today that the Wells Fargo Center is closed today for cleaning. So don’t come in, basically,” 97.5 The Fanatic host Marc Farzetta said on his show Thursday morning.
“We recognize that fans and event-goers will have questions regarding their ticket purchases. We are asking fans to hold their tickets as we determine plans to reschedule events. We thank our fans for their patience and understanding during this time,” a Comcast Spectacor – which owns the Wells Fargo center – spokesperson said in a statement.
Events scheduled for Thursday, including the Dan + Shay concert, has been postponed. Wells Fargo said tickets for the concert will be honored on the rescheduled date.
Philadelphia city officials earlier this week asked residents to avoid large gatherings of more than 5,000 people to tame the spread of the new coronavirus.
Public health administrators and organizations across the country are facing pressure to limit gatherings in a process called “social distancing,” which experts say can delay and slow the spread of infectious disease.