California Governor Gavin Newsom has indicated that fans may be in attendance for Major League Baseball games in the state beginning on Opening Day, according to a Los Angeles Times report.
“We’re working on the final details,” Newsom said Wednesday. “We’ve been working very closely with Major League Baseball and others across the spectrum.”
No fans were allowed in the state for the entire 2020 season because of coronavirus concerns, but that may change, albeit at a limited capacity.
A modification of state guidelines, which currently ban fans at professional sports, could be in the works as long as they follow specific health and safety protocols.
“We have confidence that when you look forward to April, to Opening Day,” Newsom said, “and where we are likely to be if we all do our jobs, if we don’t let our guard down and spike the ball — wrong sport — then I have all the confidence in the world that fans will be back safely, in a lot of these outdoor venues.”
This leaves the door open for the Los Angeles Dodgers to potentially raise their championship banner on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium, April 9, in front of a limited audience.
A resurgence in COVID-19 cases could disrupt the plans, but the state’s positivity rate has fallen to 2.2 percent and hospitalizations are down 43 percent over the last two weeks.
The Los Angeles Angels open their season in Anaheim on April 1 against the Chicago White Sox, while the Dodgers begin play on the road against the Colorado Rockies.
–Field Level Media