- Credibility:
CHICAGO — Fans can return to Sox Park and Wrigley Field for baseball games this season.
Mayor Lori Lightfoot made the announcement in a tweet Monday, saying fans could return to White Sox and Cubs games because coronavirus’s spread has slowed in Chicago. Those will be Chicago’s first major sports teams to be allowed to welcome back crowds since the pandemic started in spring 2020.
The Cubs’ opening day is April 1 and the White Sox open at home April 8.
Fans will have to wear masks at the games, and there will be “comprehensive screening and sanitization procedures,” according to a news release from the Mayor’s Office.
Capacity will be limited to 20 percent at Guaranteed Rate Field, meaning just 8,122 fans will be allowed in at once. Parties of people will have to stay 6 feet apart, according to the Mayor’s Office.
Wrigley Field will similarly have a 20 percent capacity limit, meaning it will be able to seat just 8,274 fans per game.
Wrigley rooftops will be open, though they’ll operate under the same restrictions as bars and restaurants.
Other changes:
- Ballpark entry and amenity zones will have limited-contact entry.
- There will be cashless concessions and shops.
- Additional restrooms per guest.
- Reduced queueing times.
- Reconfigured indoor spaces.
Restrictions could be loosened as vaccinations continue and the city’s outbreak comes more under control, according to the Mayor’s Office. Likewise, if the outbreak worsens, more rules could be imposed or ballparks could close to fans again.
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