It's been nine weeks since the NBA, NHL, MLS and MLB suspended or postponed their seasons due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
It has been unclear when and if sports would return and what they would look like when they did. California Governor Gavin Newsom gave an encouraging update on the return of sports to the state Monday in his coronavirus address, in which he said sports could "begin to move forward" without fans starting the first week of June.
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While Newsom is saying sports can return on June 1, that doesn't mean that they will. The NBA, NHL and MLB all still are working out ways to return but there have been no concrete decisions made as of yet.
Newsom previously has said he did not anticipate normal NFL games in California this fall, but this is a step toward the teams seeing the field, even if it's without fans.
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California currently is operating on a six-phase plan to reopen the state while following the guidelines of public safety officials.
San Francisco 49ers
As of Monday, California had 78,839 confirmed coronavirus cases and 3,261 deaths. This is a fluid situation, but it's good news for sports and more importantly for the state's efforts to stop the spread that Newsom thinks sports can return soon.