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The Los Angeles Dodgers are opening up more seats for fans who have received their COVID-19 vaccines.
The team announced plans to reserve two sections along the right-field line exclusively for people who received their shots at least two weeks ago. Social distancing will not be required in the section, but the Dodgers are insisting that people continue to wear masks when they’re not eating or drinking.
This isn’t the first such section to pop up in Major League Baseball. The San Francisco Giants also have one, which upped capacity at the stadium by 1,000. The expansion points to a growing trend that other teams are expected to emulate.
Fans who qualify for the seats will have to show proof of vaccination and the date of the shots upon entering the park. Children between the ages of 2 and 15 are allowed to join if they have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the game. Children under 2 are allowed in without a test.
The section will open up for the Dodgers vs. Padres game on Saturday, April 24.
Last season the only fans in attendance were cardboard cutouts of people. After a year without live spectators, most major league teams now allow at least limited attendance, though capacity varies.
Audience sizes differ from park to park, but many teams are currently in the 20% to 30% capacity range. The rise of vaccinated seating areas should increase those caps.
The move is not without some controversy, though. Opponents and anti-vaxxers see a vaccinated-only section (with required proof) as the first “vaccine passport” roadblock.
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