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Coronavirus allows repair work to proceed at U.S. Bank Stadium

Repair work at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings NFL American football team, has been able to proceed earlier than planned after a major wrestling event scheduled for the event was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak.

It was reported earlier in the month that the stadium requires $21m (£18.3m/€19.6m) in renovation work after it emerged that panels on the venue’s exterior need replacing.

The stadium had been due to host the NCAA’s national wrestling championships over the weekend, with more than 40,000 fans having been scheduled to attend. The championships were one of a string of sporting events across the US that were cancelled in a move to limit the spread of the coronavirus.

It would have marked the first time that the event had taken place inside a stadium. With no event taking place at the weekend, however, construction workers were able to use the time to make an early start on replacing the zinc panels, which were found to have leaked more than previously revealed.

As the StarTribune newspaper reports, work has begun on removing the U.S. Bank Stadium logo from the stadium’s façade and the removal of the venue’s video board will eventually follow. With other upcoming events, including a Rolling Stones concert, having also been cancelled, there is set to be ample time to carry out the work.

“It certainly would be our hope that we could get to some things quicker,” Michael Vekich, board chairman of the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority, told the StarTribune.

U.S. Bank Stadium opened in the summer of the 2016 and hosted the NFL’s Super Bowl in 2018.

Image: Darb02