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D.C. government re-implements face mask requirement due to coronavirus surge

The Wizards’ next home game is on Sunday, Dec. 26 against the Philadelphia 76ers, but it’s subject to change.

Washington Wizards v Los Angeles Lakers
You will have to wear a face mask again to attend Washington Wizards games.
Photo by Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images

The coronavirus is the talk of the town again due to the rise of the omicron variant. the new dominant variant in the U.S. And the D.C. government has taken some action, where a face mask requirement was brought back into effect effective Tuesday at 6 a.m. ET after it was removed just last month.

At Capital One Arena, that means all fans at Wizards games, regardless of seating location, will have to wear a mask. The next home game is scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 26 when they host the Philadelphia 76ers, assuming the NBA season goes on despite a major surge in cases. The mandate also affects the Washington Capitals NHL team, where their next home game is on Dec. 27 against the Ottawa Senators, again, assuming there are no further hiccups to the NHL’s schedule.

Thankfully, at least for the Wizards themselves, no one was reported to be placed into protocols on Monday. But there is still a major surge of the coronavirus among the NBA’s teams.

The NBA remains reluctant to suspend the season despite the high number of players in health and safety protocols (97 this month according to Baxter Holmes of ESPN in the tweet above). After all, Christmas Day (this Saturday) is a major day for the league when several marquee games are on the schedule.