Pittsburgh Penguins Looking To Create Vaccinated Sections For Fans At PPG Paints Arena
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The Penguins are looking into creating vaccinated sections at their home games.
A letter went out to all season-ticket holders saying the team has noticed the increased demand for tickets as more people get vaccinated. The Penguins and PPG Paints Arena currently host around 5,000 fans every home game.
With only two home games left in the regular season, the Penguins are asking the state to increase their capacity throughout the playoff push.
"They don't need to be six feet apart," Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said during the health department's weekly briefing Wednesday. "They don't need to be wearing their masks. If everybody has been vaccinated in an area, they can be together."
So how does the team plan to do this safely? The Penguins informed the state about their plan for vaccinated fan sections in the area. This means fans could sit in the stands without having to be in pods.
"I think a business has a right to say, we're going to do different things for people that are vaccinated because we know the virus is going to treat a vaccinated person differently. If a business wants to say for vaccinated people, they don't have to wear masks or don't have to social distance or we're going to have a section for vaccinated people to do things in a different manner, I think that's perfectly fine," said Dr. Amesh Adalja from the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Fans do not seem to mind either.
"Non-vaccinated sections, vaccinated sections, I'd still go. It wouldn't change my mind," said Zach Evanitsky.
"I think it's a good idea, and it will invite more people to come out because they feel safer," said John Bell.
For non-vaccinated fans, they will still be allowed to attend. But all fans will still have to adhere to CDC guidelines and wear masks.
As for Governor Tom Wolf's response to if this could be approved:
"It's a work in progress. We're still trying to figure it out," Wolf said.
Fitzgerald urges all bigger venues to try and use vaccinated sections. He hopes the plan gets approved for the Penguins and added that the county is looking to do the same for its summer concert series.