CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – The Indians will be permitted to host 10,500 fans, or 30% of the capacity of Progressive Field when the Major League Baseball season opens in April.
Ohio governor Mike DeWine, who said earlier this week he was considering the measure, made it official Thursday afternoon.
DeWine also increased capacity for indoor venues to 25%, meaning the Cavaliers will be permitted to host more fans at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
DeWine spoke with team officials as well as those of the Cincinnati Reds, Columbus Crew and minor league teams in the state.
“Going from zero to anything was going to be really fun, especially for the players,” Indians manager Terry Francona told reporters on a Zoom video conference Thursday. “And 30%, that’s pretty awesome. I hope they’re able to pull it off safely and people will warm up to the idea. I know we’ll really be thrilled if that’s the case.”
Should COVID-19 cases continue to decrease and with vaccines becoming more readily available, DeWine could relax attendance even further later in the spring.
Masking and social distancing will continue to be required and enforced as it is at Cavs games and was for the Browns, Bengals and Columbus Crew in the fall.
The Cavaliers will now be permitted to host approximately 5,140 fans, up from 2,720.
The Mid-American Conference will host a limited number of fans for the semifinals and finals of their annual men’s and women’s basketball tournaments in Cleveland next month while keeping the first two days closed to the public.
The Browns and Bengals were allowed 6,000 fans for the first two games of the NFL season in the fall before capacity was permitted to double for the remainder of the season. DeWine also granted a variance to teams for the 10 p.m. statewide curfew that was in place at the time, citing the venues as much safer and controlled environments.
