Written by Amanda Angulo
The San Diego Padres opening day is coming up on April 1, but Petco Park is still not open to fans. In light of that, County Supervisor Jim Desmond has sent a letter to Gov. Newsom asking for fans to be allowed to return to the park for the beginning of baseball season.
What’s preventing the stadium’s reopening is the state’s four-tiered Blueprint for a Safer Economy, implemented by Gov. Newsom. Sporting events remain one of the last things allowed to reopen, along with concert venues and convention centers.
“Many other cities and teams have changed the way they operate to keep their fans safe”, Desmond pointed out.
In the letter to Newsom, Desmond suggested that to reopen safely, the park could open at a 25% capacity, which would allow slightly over 10,600 fans. Desmond also assured that if the park is allowed to open, Petco Park staff will follow COVID-19 guidelines including mandatory mask usage, limiting areas in which people can congregate, and social distancing.
Sup. Desmond also noted in his letter that earlier this month Tampa Bay, Florida hosted over 22,000 Superbowl fans. COVID-19 cases have decreased in the region since the end of 2020 and continued to do so even after the football game.
Desmond also notes the positive effects of reopening. Due to many employees being needed at the stadium, reopening will allow for thousands of jobs to become available and will also help support neighboring businesses and restaurants. The East Village and Gaslamp Quarter especially would benefit from the park’s reopening.
Sup. Desmond also includes support for his suggestion to reopen by referring to a study conducted by medRxiv. The study concluded “(We) did not find an increase in COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the counties where NFL and NCAA games were held with in-person attendance.”
