Yankees, Mets to lift capacity limits for vaccinated fans

NEW YORK (AP) — The Yankees and Mets can increase capacity from 20% to 100% at their ballparks for home games starting May 19 — as along as fans are vaccinated against COVID-19.

And both teams will be giving away free tickets along with vaccinations.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the announcement at a news conference on Wednesday with Yankees president Randy Levine and Mets president Sandy Alderson.

“Theoretically if you had 100% vaccinated, you could fill the entire stadium with 100% vaccinated,” Cuomo said. “Unvaccinated, it is still the 6-foot social distancing. In other words, our capacity restrictions have been relaxed subject to the federal CDC social-distancing guideline of 6 feet.”

The Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccination will be offered at the ballparks, and a person receiving a vaccination can get a free game ticket.

“If we can encourage more people to get vaccinated by giving away Yankees tickets, we are all in,” the Yankees said in a statement.

The current requirement for fans to show proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test will be dropped because it is burdensome, Cuomo said. Masks will continue to be required. Sections for unvaccinated fans will be at 33% capacity.

Cuomo also announced that Broadway theaters will reopen Sept. 14 at 100% capacity and ticket sales could start Thursday. Broadway theaters were closed by Cuomo on March 12, 2020.

On Monday, Cuomo said New York City restaurants could raise capacity to 100% on May 19, two days after 24-hour subway service resumes.

All Major League Baseball teams were required to play the pandemic-shortened 2020 season in empty ballparks. Cuomo allowed the New York teams to start this season at 20% capacity (10,850 at Yankee Stadium, 8,384 at Citi Field) and said on April 26 they could increase to 33%...

source https://www.chron.com/news/article/Yankees-Mets-to-lift-capacity-limits-for-16153842.php