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NY Governor Approves Plan to Proceed with US Open in August

VOA News

   New York Governor Andrew Cuomo on Tuesday announced the U.S. Open
   tennis tournament is on schedule to be held this year in Queens,
   N.Y.from Aug. 31 to Sept. 13 without spectators due to health concerns
   associated with thecoronavirus.

   [1]Cuomosaidthe United States Tennis Association (USTA) "will take
   extraordinary precautions to protect players and staff, including
   robust testing, additional cleaning, extra locker room space and
   dedicated housing and transportation."

   The USTA said they are "incredibly excited" by Cuomo's approval to push
   ahead with the U.S. Open.

   "We recognize the tremendous responsibility of hosting one of the first
   global sporting events in these challenging times, and we will do so in
   the safest manner possible, mitigating all potential risks," said
   [2]Mike Dowse, USTA Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director.

   Dowse also described "tennis as the ideal social distancing sport," and
   "a boost for the City of New York and the entire tennis landscape."

   The green light for the U.S. Open makes it the first of the Grand Slam
   tournaments to be held after the outbreak ofthecoronavirus pandemic.

   The French Open, originally scheduled for May 2020, was moved to
   September andLondon's famedWimbledontournamentwas cancelled.

References

   1. https://www.governor.ny.gov/news/governor-cuomo-announces-us-open-be-held-without-fans-august-31st-september-13th
   2. https://twitter.com/usopen/status/1272932887633985536

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