According to an LA Times report, MLB plans to allow fans in stadiums to start the 2021 season if permitted by local and state authorities. The league sent a memo to teams on Monday regarding minimum health and safety standards, and it included information about fan attendance at games.
Seating must be in a socially distant fashion to start the season, with tickets sold in pods. Masks are mandated for stadium entry and must remain on unless actively eating or drinking. Fans will enter the stadium in a socially distant fashion, with social distancing in all parts of stadium concourses.
Any stadium activities or seating without social distancing must be approved by the league first.
MLB, however, won’t mandate a negative COVID-19 test nor proof of vaccination to enter. However, local and state authorities can overrule that and put a testing program into place at stadiums or choose to mandate the vaccine for entry.
As of right now, stadium gatherings are technically prohibited in New York State. However, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo allowed fans to attend the Buffalo Bills playoff game this past weekend and is expected to allow fans once again at the team’s game this weekend. In a recent address, Cuomo hinted that he’d like to reopen stadiums and entertainment venues in a limited capacity.
Cuomo has nearly three months to approve fans at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field for the 2021 season, but Spring Training is right around the corner. Both the Mets and the Yankees hold Spring Training in Florida, a state encouraging fan attendance at games. Although Spring Training tickets aren’t on sale yet, it’s expected fans will be allowed to attend the exhibition games.