MIAMI – The Miami Dolphins will allow a maximum of 13,000 fans of social distance to attend their home opener against Buffalo on September 20, a decision that divides political leaders and makes Bills coach Sean McDermott upset.
The same plan will be followed for the University of Miami’s football opener against UAB at the Dolphins’ stadium on Sept. 10.
Crowd size will be about 20% of the stadium’s capacity of 32,326 seats, with the restriction imposed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Groups of spectators will be 6 feet apart.
Fifteen of the NFL’s 32 teams have excluded spectators for the start of the season. The Dolphins are one of at least eight teams hoping to have a limited number of spectators, and many teams have not announced plans.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez were scheduled to attend a news conference Monday at the Dolphins’ stadium to discuss the team’s plan, which they approved.
South Florida remains a hot spot for the virus, and not every response to the Dolphins’ plan has been favorable. American rep. Donna Shalala, who served as Secretary of Health and Human Services during the Clinton administration, expressed concern about the safety of those participating in games.
“It’s very difficult to open everything up when your community has spread,” said Shalala, former president of the University of Miami. “We still have community dispersal in South Florida. So the kinds of precautionary measures that need to be taken are extraordinary, and I think it will be very difficult to do. … There is no question that it is risky.”
McDermott was not happy that some NFL teams will have fans and others will not. At this time, the Bills are not planning to allow audiences to attend their home games.
“I find it honestly ridiculous that there will be on the surface what a playing field looks like there is, inconsistent about the competition with the various outdoor stadiums,” McDermott said.
According to the Dolphins’ 46-page plan for crowds, fans and stadium staff will be required to wear masks if they are not eating or drinking. Tailgating will be banned.
There will be staggered gate entrance, with fans encouraged to enter at a certain time mentioned on playing cards. The stadium will provide additional entry and exit points to prevent bottle cages, and upgraded metal detectors will ensure faster processing. New bathroom faucets, toilets and soap and paper towel dispensers will not need contact.
Holders of season tickets will have first priority to purchase tickets based on their term of office.
“When we began the process in March of exploring what a socially remote stadium could look like, we made everyone’s health and safety a top priority, knowing that when we felt we could not make it safe, we just wouldn’t have fans, ”Dolphins vice president and CEO Tom Garfinkel said in a statement.
“We are pleased that our elected officials recognize the attention to detail and zeal we have placed in creating a safe environment and that they have made the decision to move forward with a stadium of 13,000 capacity at this time.”
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