The Seattle Mariners have been cleared to host up to 9,000 fans per game, roughly 19 percent of capacity, for the first 11 games of the season at T-Mobile Park by state and local officials.
“We have been working closely with state and local officials the past several months to get ready for this day,” said John Stanton, Seattle Mariners Chairman and Managing Partner, via press release. “The health and safety of our fans, players and employees is our number one consideration. With the guidance of experts and best practices for health and safety, we are thrilled to be able to welcome fans back to T-Mobile Park for the first time since 2019.”
The capacity rules applies only to the first 11 games of the 2021 MLB season, and presumably the capacity limitations will be revisited at some point. Washington State was hit particularly hard and early by the COVID-19 pandemic, but since then positivity rates have fallen–particularly in King County, where Seattle is reported the lowest death rates among major U.S. cities. Yes, we are living in a world where success is partially measured by lowered death rates; welcome to 2021.
The Mariners will be following the MLB operating rules: pod seating, contactless cashless concessions featuring a limited number of individually wrapped items, digital tickets, mandatory mask usage, enhanced cleaning procedures, and more.
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