Orange County's mayor told a briefing Monday live televised wrestling matches at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando can go ahead because Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) deemed it an "essential business."
Why it matters: The WWE is one of the few entertainment and sporting enterprises still holding events during the COVID-19 pandemic. It plans to continue holding shows in closed sets despite an employee testing positive for COVID-19, starting with its "Raw" event on Monday night.
What they're saying: Mayor Jerry Demings said the decision was reached after "some conversation with the governor's office" regarding the state's stay-at-home order. "They were deemed an essential business," he said. "Therefore they were allowed to remain open."
- The WWE said in a statement the enterprise decided to continue for reasons including that the employee who tested positive for the coronavirus had no contact with anyone from WWE since their diagnosis and that they had made a "complete recovery," per Pro Wrestling Sheet.
- "We believe this matter is low risk to WWE talent and staff, as the individual and a roommate became symptomatic in the days following exposure to two people working in acute health care on the evening of March 26, after WWE's TV production on a closed set was already complete," the WWE said.
- The WWE stressed in a later statement to news outlets "only essential personnel" would be at the closed set and that officials would follow health precautions.
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Editor's note: This article has been updated with Demings' comments.
