Mayor orders removal of some hoops citywide to enforce social distancing

Some basketball courts in the city are about to look a bit different as Mayor Bill de Blasio orders hoops to be removed to enforce social distancing.

News 12 Staff

Mar 27, 2020, 3:00 AM

Updated 1,484 days ago

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Some basketball courts in the city are about to look a bit different as Mayor Bill de Blasio orders hoops to be removed to enforce social distancing.
The mayor is trying to stop the spread of COVID-19. He says the courts will remain open for solidarity exercise or other recreational activities.
"I've heard back from the Parks Department and the NYPD that they have found 80 locations, 80 courts around the city out of about 1,700 that after repeated attempts to make sure everyone there understood what social distancing was, they did not get the response they wanted," says de Blasio.
For the courts that will still have hoops, de Blasio warns that basketball is a contact sport. He says playing with the people you live with it is fine or shooting hoops by yourself, but taking part in a pick up game will not be tolerated. The mayor says if it continues he will shut all courts down.
"I don't want to do it," says de Blasio. "I want to see if we can get it right. I want to give people maximum options."
The mayor warns you have to follow the rules for everyone's safety.
 
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