NFL opens to full stadiums as COVID-19 surges
The NFL kicked off its biggest season with no capacity limitations as the league follows the NBA, NHL, MLB, NCAA and others in opening its doors to soldout stadiums.
At Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, with
more than 65,000 fans coming out to see the Buccaneers celebrate their championship before beginning defense of their crown. Thousands of fans gathered outside the stadium before the game, eating, drinking and enjoying the atmosphere as they waited for gates to open. Once they did, the party moved inside. The Buccaneers have relaxed several protocols.
Fans will not be temperature screened and masks are not required.
“We and our clubs are in daily and regular conversations with local and state authorities, but as we sit here right now, we don’t anticipate any reduction in capacity this year,” Peter O’Reilly, NFL executive vice president of club business and events, said in the league’s last briefing. The league hasn’t mandated vaccines for players but strongly encouraged it.
Fans are returning as COVID-19 surges, with about 150,000 news cases daily. The delta variant is filling hospitals, children are getting sick, and some schools are abruptly switching back to remote learning because of outbreaks. The U.S. death toll stands at more than 650,000, with one major forecast model projecting it will top 750,000 by Dec. 1 — deep into the NFL season.
https://apnews.com/article/sports-nhl-mlb-nba-nfl-ac987b4210af44ab7cd14f81f378fafb