CHICAGO (NBC Chicago) - Chicago fans will be allowed to return to the stands at Wrigley and Guaranteed Rate Field this season, but with limitations, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced Monday.
Fans will be allowed beginning Opening Day "under limited capacity and guidelines," including a mask requirement.
Guaranteed Rate Field, which normally seats just over 40,000 guests, will be limited to 20%, or 8,122 fans with at least six feet between parties.
“As a diehard sports fan myself, I’m personally excited to have Chicago take its first, cautious steps toward safely reopening our beloved baseball stadiums to fans this season,” Lightfoot said in a statement. “We're able to do that thanks to the commitment of our city’s two great baseball franchises who continue to work in close partnership with Chicago’s public health officials to find solutions that are not only safe, but offer a path forward toward safely increasing stadium capacity as we move closer into our COVID-19 recovery.”
The Cubs are set to kick off their home opener at Wrigley Field on April 1, while the White Sox are scheduled to return home on April 8 after starting their season on the road.
The move comes as fans begin to return to stands in places long shut down, like Barclays Center in New York. The Milwaukee Brewers also announced last week that fans would be allowed into American Family Field for the start of the 2021 baseball season at 25% capacity.
Currently, the Chicago Bulls and Blackhawks are playing home games at the United Center, with no fans allowed in the building.
The Cubs and White Sox played their 2020 seasons without fans in the stands, and the Chicago Bears did the same at Soldier Field, with no fans in attendance at any of their eight home games.
Chicago's sports stadiums are also being utilized for mass vaccinations in the city, with the United Center opening its parking lots this week for appointments through a federal program.
According to Advocate Aurora Health, a mass vaccination site is also being explored at Wrigley Field, aiming to help even more Chicago-area residents to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
