In a bold move, the Texas Rangers welcomed over 38,000 fans for their home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays, marking the largest attendance at a sporting event since the pandemic began. Back in March, the Rangers declared there would be no capacity restrictions for the game at Globe Life Field, and they followed through with an official count of 38,238 attendees on Monday.
“It felt like a real game,” remarked Rangers Manager Alex Thompson to The New York Times. “It was reminiscent of the days when our stadium was full.”
However, reality paints a different picture. The pandemic is still very much present. According to Healthline, new COVID-19 cases have surged to around 61,000 per day in the past week, signaling a potential rise in infections, attributed to relaxed restrictions, new virus variants, and large gatherings around Spring Break and Easter.
Moreover, research highlighted by CNN indicates that the B.1.351 variant, which originated in South Africa, shows increased resistance to both post-infection antibodies and two available vaccines, raising concerns among health experts.
While Major League Baseball mandates that all fans aged two and older wear masks at games, many attendees were spotted without them, as Texas lacks a statewide mask requirement. Despite the overwhelming crowd, the Rangers fell to the Blue Jays with a score of 6-2. “I was hoping the crowd would get loud if we gave them something to cheer about,” Thompson said. “Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”
Looking ahead, the Rangers plan to limit capacity at Globe Life Field for future games to promote social distancing. The home opener crowd was allowed because fans missed out on experiencing the new stadium properly last season due to the ongoing pandemic. So, it seems this event was a one-time super-spreader opportunity.
In early March, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced the end of the statewide mask mandate and allowed businesses to operate at full capacity. “It is now time to open Texas 100%,” Abbott stated, emphasizing that people and businesses should not require state direction.
As of April 5, the United States reported at least 530 new coronavirus deaths and 76,594 new cases, according to the New York Times data tracker. The average daily cases have risen by 20 percent compared to two weeks earlier.
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In summary, the Texas Rangers’ decision to host a packed home opener in the midst of an ongoing pandemic raises questions about public health safety even as many are eager to return to normalcy.