Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame to reopen June 1

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JUNE 24: Tamika Catchings, the WNBA champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist retires her No. 24 jersey during halftime of the game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Indiana Fever on June 24, 2017 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JUNE 24: Tamika Catchings, the WNBA champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist retires her No. 24 jersey during halftime of the game between the Los Angeles Sparks and the Indiana Fever on June 24, 2017 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Induction still postponed, but Hall will reopen along with Tennessee

With the state of Tennessee one week into its reopening procedure, the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame announced in a release Friday it would reopen on June 1, 2020, two and a half months after closing due to concerns about the spread of coronavirus.

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Certain guidelines will be in place upon reopening, including staff being tested “prior to work,” increased cleaning and sanitizing, operating at 50% capacity and a request that guests socially distance and wear masks when visiting or not visit if they feel ill.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee released guidelines to reopen the state on April 24, which had been sheltering in place for less than a month.

But Knox County, where the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame is located, is following its own reopening procedure. The county health department detailed three phases of reopening, the first of which began May 1 and will last at least 28 days.

If the plan moves along as scheduled, the Hall of Fame will reopen during Phase 2, during which telework is still encouraged, gatherings of 50 or more are not recommended, social distancing should continue and everyone should wear cloth masks.

The guidelines also specify that “[w]hen reopening or expanding services, employers individually must consider risk to patrons and employees.”

While Knox County’s 253 reported cases and 5 deaths are the lowest among the state’s counties housing a major city, the state as a whole — which reports 14,166 cases and 247 deaths — is still seeing an upward trend in new infections.

“While we welcome our guests back to the Hall, our utmost concern is for your safety along with our team’s health,” the release said. “We appreciate your support during this time and look forward to having you visit the hall.”

The induction ceremony for the 2020 class, which was scheduled to take place June 13 and whose honorees include inductees Tamika Catchings and Lauren Jackson, was postponed to June 12, 2021 on March 24.

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