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Opening day at Fenway Park is not far away, and now it looks like there will be baseball fans in the stands to witness it.
Governor Charlie Baker announced Thursday that the state will reopen major venues on March 22, including arenas where Boston’s professional sports teams play: Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium and TD Garden.
The reopening comes as the state plans to move to phase 4, step 1 of the plan outlined last spring at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, as long as the data continues to show a positive downward trend.
“Opening day is in our near future,” Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said at a press conference Thursday.
It applies to places that can accommodate more than 5,000 people. They are expected to operate at 12 percent capacity and will need to submit a plan to the State Department of Public Health regarding the precautions being implemented.
The announcement came as Baker also lifted restrictions on many other companies, which will be able to operate at 50% of their capacity (up from 40% currently in place) from Monday, when the state moves to Phase 3. , 2nd step.
The move, which reflects a steady decline in COVID-19 rates in the state in recent weeks, follows New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision to reopen those sites in his state this month, with a 10% capacity limit in arenas and stadiums.
The Red Sox open the season at Fenway Park on April 1 against the Orioles. The Celtics’ first home game after March 22 is on March 29, against the Pelicans. The Bruins are scheduled to face the Islanders on March 23 at TD Garden. Although the Revolution regular season schedule has not been released, the MLS club said on Thursday it was delighted to welcome fans when the season kicks off in mid-April.
What has yet to be addressed, Baker said Thursday, is how the teams will play at sites that also host vaccination sites. Fenway and Gillette were the first mass vaccination sites opened in the state.
“They are important players in this vaccination effort,” he said. “We’ll try to figure this one out.”
Baker has kept the large arenas that host the region’s most popular teams closed and has kept a tight lid on capacity for events of all sizes since the pandemic hit Massachusetts last March.
Jon Chesto can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on twitter @jonchesto. Katie McInerney can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @ k8tmac. Michael Silverman can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @MikeSilvermanBB.
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