Rockies: 12,500 fans will be allowed for opening day
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — The Rockies announced Friday that they have been approved by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to host 12,500 fans beginning on opening day, April 1.
For fans as well as Lodo vendors and restaurants, the equivalent to 25% of Coors Field’s capacity is far better than the total shutout at the gates last season due to the coronavirus pandemic. Fans were not allowed to attend any of the 30 homes games the Rockies played during the 60game season.
“That’s about 12,500 reasons to go back to work out there,” said Joel Watkins, who has operated his Diamond Dogs hot-dog stand outside the stadium since it opened in 1995. “I’m tr ying to stay positive about the whole thing. Baseball is back in Denver, even if the fans are limited, the team’s not supposed to be very good and people are mad that Nolan Arenado got traded.”
An email sent by the club to season ticket holders on Feb. 8 said ticket requests will be prioritized based on the length of an individual’s season ticket tenure. There will be an online reservation system to buy tickets, which will be sold in “pods” of 2-4 tickets. The email also laid out some of the COVID-19 precautions being taken at the stadium in 2021.
All fans will be required to wear a mask except when eating or drinking. Physical distancing will be enforced, as seating will be available in all levels and sections of Coors Field. There will be enhanced cleaning protocols and sanitation stations throughout the stadium, and the team is creating a new seating manifest to accommodate physical distancing requirements.