Fans will be allowed into some stadiums
The state of California opened the door for the San Francisco 49ers to welcome fans back into the stands at Levi’s Stadium, but the Santa Clara County Public HealthDepartment quickly shut it.
The state released new coronavirus guidance on Tuesday that allowed theme parks to open with modifications and for professional sports teams to begin selling tickets to host fans at games effective immediately. Counties that have reached Tier 3 (moderate/orange) including Santa Clara County and Tier 4 (minimal/yellow) — which San Francisco moved into o nTuesday— are now permitted to have a reduced capacity at outdoor stadiums, but local health officials aren’t willing to give their approval.
“Audiences at professional sporting events will not be allowed anytime soon in Santa Clara County, and theme parks will not resume operation,” the county said in a statement. “We must all continue to prioritize reducing the spread of COVID-19, creating conditions that will allow our businesses, schools, and other community organizations to operate safely.”
The 49ers play home games in Santa Clara County, which is currently in the orange tier. Under state guidance, counties in the orange tier are allowed to have their stands filled at 20%, so the team could conceivably host nearly 14,000 fans inside Levi’s Stadium, which has a maximum capacity of 68,500.
The county’s statement restricting teams from hosting fans came fewer than 90 minutes after the 49ers released a statement Tuesday praising Gov. Gavin News om following the announcement of new guidelines. The 49ers said they expected to work with local health officials from the county to create a plan that “protects the health and wellness of all
San Francisco 49ers and Levi’s Stadium employees, patrons and our community.”
“We appreciate Governor Newsom’s leadership and thoughtful approach in creating a framework that allows for a return of fans to Levi’s Stadium, and restart the economic activity of the region,” the statement said. “We welcome our fans and their support of local businesses and vendors that are critical to our local economy, especially during these difficult times.”
The 49ers are scheduled to play in New England on Sunday and on the road in Seattle on November 1, meaning the soonest they could host fans under state guidelines at Levi’s Stadium is on Thursday, November 5 when the Green Bay Packers visit Santa Clara.
Barring a sudden change in local guidance, however, the stands at Levi’s Stadium may remain empty.
“As we see COVID-19 rates rising in states across the U. S., and as we enter the winter months when risk will increase, we cannot take chances with the health and wellbeing of our community and forfeit the many sacrifices that have been made to slow the spread of COVID-19,” the county statement said.
California assigns each of its 58 counties a colored tier based on the adjusted coronavirus case rate and the positivity rate of tests conducted within a county. Counties in the purple and red tiers have an adjusted seven- day case rate of more than four people per 100,000 residents and a positivity rate above 5% over a seven- day period.
Neither of the two other NFL teams in California —the Los Angeles Chargers and Los Angeles
Rams— are permitted to host fans because they play indoors at SoFi Stadium. Even if the stadium was outdoors, Los Angeles County is in the purple tier, which means COVID-19 is “widespread,” per the state.
Tuesday’s announcement could have also laid the groundwork for the San Jose Earthquakes to welcome fans back to Earthquakes Stadium as soon as their November 1 home match against the Los Angeles Football Club, but Santa Clara County’s public health guidance will supersede the state’s regulations.
The guidelines do not provide any clarity for the San Jose Sharks or Golden State Warriors as they do not apply to indoor arenas, but they could create a framework for the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics to prepare to host fans during the 2021 season.
Oracle Park in San Francisco is the only professional sports venue in the state located in a yellow tier, which would allow the Giants to fill 25% of the seats at a ballpark with a capacity of nearly 42,000.
In an end- of-season letter to fans, Giants president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi said the organization was working actively with local health officials to devise a plan that would allow the franchise to safely welcome fans back to Oracle Park next season.
California’s guidance on allowing fans to attend professional sporting events does not specify regulations for colleges including Cal , Stanford and San Jose State, which are all planning to open their football seasons in the coming weeks.
At this point, it remains unclear if the state will allow fans at collegiate sporting events or high school sporting events, which are scheduled to begin again in January.