San Francisco and neighboring Alameda and Santa Clara are the only counties that meet the threshold for pro sports. However, soon after the announcement, officials in Santa Clara, home of the San Francisco 49ers, issued a statement saying they were not ready to allow a limited number of fans to Levi’s Stadium.
Santa Clara County Executive Officer Drs. Jeff Smith said more than 14,000 people could participate in the events at Levi Stadium under the guidance of the state.
“It is a matter of making appropriate scientific decisions rather than making political decisions,” Smith told reporters. “Placing spectators in a stadium in large groups is just asking for trouble. It’s like a petri dish.”
He said that it is not enough to guarantee the spread of the virus, as fans will be using the same toilet and the same door to enter and leave the stadium, screaming and screaming during the game.
The 49ers said the team welcomed the news from the state but would “continue to cooperate with local public health officials to ensure a plan that protects the health and well-being of the team, its employees and the public.” Many NFL teams from other states are playing games with fans in the stands.
Under state regulations, pro sports teams can have limited capacity in outdoor stadiums if they are in a county in the lowest two levels of the state’s four-tiered model to reopen. Only fans who live within a 120 mile radius can purchase tickets.
State Health Secretary Drs. Mark Gali said that the goal of sporting events is to keep crowds small and regional without allowing spectators from other areas to flock to them, which can increase the risk of pandemics and outbreaks.
No county in Southern California has reached those levels, so fans of the NFL’s Los Angeles Ram and Charger are still on edge.
San Francisco is the first highly populated county to go to the state’s lowest level for infections. All other counties at that level are rural areas scattered along the Oregon border or the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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