Philadelphia Phillies, Citizens Bank Park Unveil COVID-19 Guidelines As They Prepare To Welcome Fans Back
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Time to play ball on the road to recovery. The Philadelphia Phillies are preparing to welcome back fans to the stands at Citizens Bank Park next week.
The boys of summer and you are nearly back together.
"On their mobile ticket will be a designated, preferred gate for everybody to come inside," a man said.
There will be several changes to the Citizens Bank Park experience next week for the 8,800 in attendance on Opening Day on April 1.
Pre-paid parking, no bags and if you're over 2 years old, face masks.
"It's what the city said. If you want fans, they have to wear masks no matter if they've been vaccinated or not," Phillies Executive Vice President David Buck said.
"In addition, we'll be going cashless. Google Pay, Apple Pay -- you can just tap it and go. And all terminals are in front of guests, so it's also a contactless operation as well," Kevin Tedesco with Aramark said.
Snag all of your ballpark favorites and clean up so the clean team can do its work.
"We will be using the same practices in the ballpark for fans that we'll be using in the clubhouse to ensure all areas are disinfected," Spectra General Manager Carolyn DiGiuseppe said.
There will be social distancing in the seats and along the concourse.
If you've followed the opening of Wells Fargo Center for the Sixers and the Flyers, what's going on at Citizens Bank Park isn't dissimilar.
The Phillies say they're talking to the city in hopes of increasing their capacity as the season progresses but understand if you'd rather watch from a distance yourself first.
"We've had some season tickets holders who have decided to take the year off," John Weber with the team's ticket ops and sales said, "take the first 19 off and that's fine, we'll work with them. When they're comfortable coming back, we'll work with them."
Also, there is no tailgating allowed yet.