Supporters of professional sports in California are permitted to enter outdoor stadiums after October 27th. Multiple factors apply towards which stadiums can reopen their days, with the main attribute being coronavirus infection rates in that respective area. Lowered infections in regions throughout California will enable stadiums to resume attendances. However, outbreak zones won’t be given the same right. The Medical Board announced stadiums reopening of California.
Alameda, San Francisco, and Santa Clara are the three regions being permitted in California to allow supporters into outdoor stadiums. It’s because they’ve maintained the threshold of lowered cases. However, professional sporting institutions like the San Francisco 49ers have issued public statements clarifying that supporters won’t be permitted into Levi’s Stadium. The 49ers admitted that they’re not remotely capable or allowing fans back into their stadium.
Fourteen thousand supporters could be allowed into Levi’s Stadium under the San Francisco 49ers permission. However, the NFL Team has been advised by the Santa Clara Medical Officer that permitting supporters into stadiums will create “Super Spreader” scenarios that cannot be stopped. The 49ers would ultimately be the reason why the San Francisco area would sustain hundreds to possibly thousands of coronavirus cases.
Possible Outbreaks
Doctor Jeff Smith, the Santa Clara Medical Officer that informed the 49ers of the potential outcomes, told the local press that this decision wasn’t political. He evoked that it was a decision based on science & one that if ignored, would’ve created massive outbreaks across San Francisco to the State of California. Doctor Jeff Smith evoked that being outdoors isn’t viable enough to guarantee Covid-19 won’t spread. Supporters would use the same restrooms & doors while screaming for their respective team. All three attributes enable the transmission of Covid-19.
It should be clarified that the San Francisco 49ers are excited by the news but will wait until local health officials deem supporters at outdoor stadiums viable. This likely won’t be for months with winter weeks away, a period where Covid is expected to rise drastically worldwide. For supporters of the 49ers, it looks like the waiting game is still factored into their professional football.