The NFL is planning on having 22,000 fans at the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida, in two weeks and 7500 of those tickets are being given away to health care workers. That according to reporting from the Washington Post.
Each of the 22,000 fans will be required to wear a mask that is being provided as they enter the stadium. All tickets will be mobile and they will sit in pods of two, four, or six distanced from other fans in attendance.
The 7500 health care workers will mainly be from the Tampa area, but each NFL team will have the opportunity to send a group of four local health care workers to the game with the teams covering the cost of travel. Each of the health care workers have either already received their second dose of the coronavirus vaccine or will have by January 24, ensuring a two-week build up of immunization.
“As we all know, these front-line workers are true American heroes and we owe them our ongoing gratitude,” Goodell said in a conference call with reporters. “We also know that we need to rely on them for months to come to distribute vaccines and continue to treat all of those that are ill from COVID and other illnesses.”
Raymond James Stadium in Tampa normally holds up to 66,321 people, so this figure represents one-third of the possible capacity. Just taking the non-vaccinated fans, it’s roughly 21% of capacity.
The Buffalo Bills face the Kansas City Chiefs this Sunday in the AFC Championship Game for the right to attend the Super Bowl. The Green Bay Packers host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who could become the first team ever to play the biggest game of the year in their home stadium.