GREEN BAY, Wis. (WFRV) – Following this past Sunday’s successful evaluation of COVID-19 protocols at Lambeau Field, the Packers plan to host a small group of employees and their household family in the stadium bowl for the second time at Sunday’s Packers-Eagles game.
While no ticketed fans will attend Sunday’s game, the team says they remain hopeful that hosting ticketed fans will be possible yet this season.
The small group invited to Sunday’s game will be part of the continuing process of evaluating the enhanced protocols for fan attendance. Authorities say the invited guests – approximately 500 – will model operations such as ingress and egress, concession stand and restroom usage, signage effectiveness and positioning, and distancing of seating pods throughout the stadium bowl.
“We want to continue reminding fans and community members that our ability to host fans on gamedays depends on our community following the guidelines from the Brown County and Wisconsin Departments of Health, as well as those from the CDC. We are confident that our operations and protocols will not contribute to the spread of the virus. Rather, we are trying to model how good behavior can take us through this time in a safe way. Wear masks and stay six feet away from others outside your household. Wash your hands. Let’s be smart so that we don’t endanger any more loved ones and so that our team can play again in front of our fans,” says Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy.
According to a release, the team continues to be guided by recommendations from healthcare partner Bellin Health, as well as officials with Brown County Public Health, and will consult with these colleagues to evaluate a variety of factors for the possibility of hosting fans later in the season.
As they did this past weekend, authorities remind the public that gameday guests must comply with the new seat policy which requires attendees to remain within their socially distanced household “pod” of seats unless using the restroom or purchasing food or beverages.
Other protocols that will be evaluated include the use of mobile tickets as the method of entry, enhanced cleaning measures in the stadium, hand sanitizer stations throughout the concourse, cashless concession locations, and required face coverings unless actively eating or drinking. Team officials say tailgating in the Lambeau Field parking lots also will be prohibited for Sunday’s guests.
Across the NFL, other teams have been taking a similar graduated approach, beginning by inviting employees and their households to attend and eventually taking the next step to welcome ticketed fans. While COVID-19 cases are trending upward nationally, no local COVID-19 case clusters have been traced to NFL games according to the relevant health departments in NFL cities. Through Week 10, the NFL had a total of 65 games with more than 550,000 total fans in attendance.
If the team is able to host ticketed fans later this season, team officials say season ticket holders who have opted in for the opportunity to purchase tickets will receive instructions about the ticket-purchasing process at a later date.
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