Marlins to allow fans at roughly 25% of capacity
Fans were not permitted to attend regular-season and most playoff games for the 2020 MLB season held amid the COVID-19 pandemic. With the upcoming campaign approaching as vaccine rollouts occur throughout North America, clubs are making preparations to welcome spectators back to ballparks.
According to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Marlins CEO Derek Jeter confirmed that the club will allow fans to attend home games with attendance capped at roughly 25%. A maximum of 9,300 spectators could fill the 37,446-seat Marlins Park when the Miami hosts opponents.
“We look forward to having the opportunity to have fans come back to our ballpark,” Jeter said. “There will be a limited number of fans that are allowed at the onset. We hope those numbers increase throughout the course of the season, but the most important thing for us is to make sure everyone is healthy and safe.”
Some college football, NFL, NBA and NHL teams have welcomed fans at reduced capacities over the past 11 months, while the UFC has routinely held shows behind closed doors at the UFC Apex located in Las Vegas.
Last week, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Toronto Blue Jays may have to play home games at their spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida through the first half of the season because the border that separates Canada and the United States remains closed to non-essential travel.
