The stands at Philadelphia Eagles and Phillies home games will be empty this season.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Tuesday that City of Philadelphia mayor Jim Kennedy announced a moratorium on all large events that require public permits through the end of February due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That will apply to the Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field and Phillies’ Citizens Bank Park, both of which will be allowed to host games without fans in attendance.
City of Philadelphia health commissioner Thomas Farley said the sports leagues are implementing health protocols that “look pretty good,” but that the measures don’t necessarily make it safe to have crowds.
“I do think that games can be played with the kind of safety precautions that they’re proposing,” Farley said. “I do not think that they can have spectators at those games. There’s no way for them to be safe having a crowd there.”
City of Philadelphia managing director Brian Abernathy doesn’t expect any issues, as the Phillies have announced they’ll play without fans while the NFL guidelines “remind teams that local authorities have the ability to ban fans.”
Related content: Bucs’ Stadium Receives $10.4 Million in Federal Funding
