WWE Releases Statement on Fans Not Wearing Masks During WWE Raw

This week's Monday Night Raw marked the first time since March that fans (albeit a small number of them) were allowed to be in the audience at WWE's Performance Center. Unfortunately late in the show news broke that a WWE Performance Center trainee had tested positive for COVID-19, making it the second time a WWE employee had tested positive since the coronavirus pandemic began. Since then conflicting reports have come out regarding how WWE handled having fans in attendance for the show. Wrestling Observer's Bryan Alvarez reported late Monday night that WWE did not allow fans to wear masks while attending the show and that they were not allowed to enter the building if they showed up wearing one.

However on Tuesday Jon Alba reported that the fans were under no pressure to not wear masks from WWE officials. WWE provided a statement as well.

NEW: Multiple fans in attendance at Monday's #WWE tapings tell me they were NOT told they couldn't wear masks. Several reports in the last 24 hours have indicated they were told they couldn't wear them. WWE has released the following statement to me and @MyNews13 on the matter: pic.twitter.com/7lxSEtZyc1

— Jon Alba (@JonAlba) June 16, 2020

WWE has already canceled Tuesday's television tapings so that every wrestler and staff member who was present at the PC on June 9 can undergo coronavirus testing. Prior to Tuesday, WWE had not been testing employees beyond temperature checks and basic health checks before entering the Performance Center.

On top of nobody finding out about the COVID failure until it hit social media, I was told by multiple sources that WWE would not allow anyone in the crowd at the RAW taping Monday to wear masks.

— Bryan Alvarez (@bryanalvarez) June 16, 2020

"A developmental talent, who was last on site at WWE's training facility on Tuesday, June 9, has tested positive for COVID-19," WWE's statement on Monday night read. "Since that time, no other individuals that attended the facility have reported symptoms. However, out of an abundance of caution and to ensure the health and safety of the company's performers and staff, all talent, production crew and employees on site at the training and production facilities will be tested for COVID-19 immediately. Following the test results, WWE plans to proceed with its normal television production schedule."

Triple H was asked during a recent media conference call about why WWE wasn't using coronavirus tests like AEW or the UFC.

"We have medical experts on our team ... they work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the government to determine the best approach that we must take to guarantee the safety and well-being of our fighters, and that is what we do," he said.

"We are working with the local and federal government," he added. "When you start talking about the various types of tests out there, the accuracy of those tests becomes questionable. We need to do what medical experts tell us, and once the tests become generalized that are precise, and these are available, we will make them. But the precision of those tests have to be there first. But in the meantime, our medical protocols are extensive, and most importantly, they have worked."