ABC 7 News
The San Francisco Giants are preparing for the team’s Friday home opener, the first game with fans since the pandemic started.
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — The San Francisco Giants are preparing for the team’s Friday home opener, the first game with fans since the pandemic started.
The team has made a lot of changes to try and keep fans spread out and safe.
“Keep in mind, this is the very first major event to happen in San Francisco since everything shut down in mid-March last year,” said Giant’s spokesperson Staci Slaughter when explaining all the changes fans will experience.
The major thing unvaccinated fans need to do is get tested for COVID-19 and show their negative test results at the gate. There is an app to help simplify the process.
“They can download the Clear Health Pass that is linked to a number of testing facilities and health care providers in the Bay Area,” said Slaughter. “They can do that in advance to coming to the ballpark and their tests will be linked directly to their phone.”
The providers that link results to the Clear Health Pass app are Quest, BioReference, LabCorp, CVS, Kaiser, UCSF and Sutter Health.
Fans can go to other providers for a test and bring those results in, as well.
Fans who have been fully vaccinated for at least two weeks can show their vaccination card in place of a COVID-19 test.
The ballpark is permitted to have 22% of its capacity filled, which is 8,900 fans. The game is sold out.
To spread everyone out, they have divided the ballpark into nine zones. Fans will enter the gate they are assigned to, which is located on their ticket. They will use the restrooms and concessions in their assigned zone.
Fans can order food from their seat on their phones and go pick it up when they get a text saying it is ready.
It will be different, but team executives say they are looking forward to seeing it all in action.
“We have not had fans in the ballpark for 18 months. So much has changed. Our last game with fans was when Bruce Bochy retired! That is how long it has been. It (all the new rules and preparations) is absolutely worth it,” Slaughter said.
The team has only sold tickets for April home games as officials wait to see what health regulations will be in place in May.
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