With the Allegheny County Health Department announcing an order Thursday afternoon forcing bars, restaurants and casinos to close, and banning activites with more than 25 people, attention immediately turned to how youth and professional sports would be impacted.
When asked about about the immediate outlook for youth sports, Fitzgerald said that he would not reccomend them being held right now.
"It would probably be not reccomended," he said. "Because I spent a lot of time when my kids were young at ballfields, and I know this is big tournament season for little leagues. And I know there's more than 25 people that show up, and I'm not just talking obviously about the kids on the field. But you know parents go, concession stand, the 50/50 raffle, all the things that go along with these tournaments."
With regards to the Steelers, Fitzgerald does not sounds confident that there will be fans in attendance when the NFL gets underway this fall.
"60,000 people. 65,000 people at Heinz Field, I'm not that optimistic that that's going to happen this fall," he said.
Fitzgerald also said that it is currently a joint effort between the state, county and leagues to determine how the Pirates and Penguins can proceed with their respective restarts. While the leagues will come up with their own travel and quarantine restricitons, he believes the all three will come together to ultimately decide what the teams will do.
Fitzgerald added that people can continue playing golf, but that they will not be permitted to congregate in or around clubhouses in large groups following rounds.