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Bears Won't Allow Fans at Soldier Field for Games Until 'It Is Deemed Safe'
August 17, 2020
The Chicago Bears are indefinitely prohibiting fans from attending games at Soldier Field amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
"After discussing a draft plan with City health officials, the Bears and the City of Chicago agreed the health metrics show that it is not the right time to welcome fans back to Soldier Field," the team said in a statement. "... The team and City will continue to monitor the environment and believe there can be a sound plan in place to bring fans back to Soldier Field once it is deemed safe and appropriate."
Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic reported in June that the NFL wasn't going to issue blanket restrictions on the number of fans at each game for the upcoming season. Teams would have discretion to set their own limits based on recommendations and guidelines from state and local officials.
The Bears' announcement came on the same day the Kansas City Chiefs revealed they'll fill Arrowhead Stadium, which can seat up to 76,416 fans, to 22 percent capacity.
MLB, on the other hand, has shuttered its stadiums for the 2020 season.
Granted, Yahoo Sports' Hannah Keyser shared questions from a poll by MLB that seemingly indicates welcoming fans back to baseball games is a possibility this year:
The state of Illinois has confirmed 207,854 cases of the coronavirus, with 7,756 deaths from the disease. According to WGN, the state reported 1,773 new cases on Monday, well below its peak of 4,014 on May 12.
The Bears' first home game is Sept. 20 against the New York Giants. The team opens at Detroit on Sept. 13.