Wizards to begin hosting fans on April 21 originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The Wizards will begin hosting fans at home games next week when they take on the Golden State Warriors on April 21, the team announced on Monday, just days after they were given clearance by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser's office to do so.
Fans have not attended a Wizards home game since March 10, 2020, the day before the league shut down due to the coronavirus. But now, with a 10 percent capacity limit and a wide range of safety precautions, about 2,100 fans will be let through the turnstiles very soon.
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“Our fans fuel everything our players and teams accomplish, and they have been deeply missed,” Wizards chairman Ted Leonsis said in a statement. “Our country has been through great stress over the past year, and it has taken a mental toll on all of us, but we know that sports are a great healer. So, we thank Mayor Bowser and her team for approving our vigorous health and safety plan so that some of our passionate Caps and Wizards fans may gather – with the first games being attended by some of our incredible first responders and frontline COVID-19 workers.”
As Leonsis noted, the Wizards will invite and honor hundreds of front-line workers at their first game on April 21. Priority for other tickets will be given to season ticket holders and partners of Monumental Sports and Entertainment. They say information about tickets for the general public will be relased at a later date. For now, you can go here for more details.
Fans attending Wizards games will have to adhere to strict protocols relating to the coronavirus. Everyone will be required to wear a mask covering their mouth and nose at all times other than when eating and drinking. Fans will also go through health screenings upon arrival and will be seated in pods of 1-to-4 people spread out around the arena for social distancing.
It's just a start, but a long time coming for the Wizards, who have not had fans at their home games in 13 months.
