Raymond James Stadium will once again host the Super Bowl, but it will not be anything similar to the previous editions, at least in the stands. To witness the LV edition by Vince Lombardi, the NFL announced that there will only be room for 22,000 aficionados February 7.
To arrive at that number, the NFL has established discussions with health sector officials, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Florida Department of Health.
The coronavirus pandemic has put all kinds of sports competition in check. Some events such as the Tokyo Olympics, according to a report by The Times, have been canceled. Others have been postponed with drastic changes. Few have remained standing. The NFL has dealt with outbreaks throughout the campaign – Nashville and Baltimore, among those that have caused the most damage – and for this reason it has taken a specific position on the importance of following COVID protocols, precisely so as not to postpone the game. for the championship at the end of February.
In December, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that they couldn’t give an accurate number then but that they would try to “bring in as many fans as we can.”
Now that there is a number, in a gesture of thanks the league has decided that 7,500 tickets will be given away to medical personnel that you have already received the vaccine and that you have been on the front line during the pandemic.
The NFL is inviting 7,500 vaccinated health care workers to attend Super Bowl LV to thank and honor them for their continued extraordinary service during the pandemic.
To celebrate, @nflcommish surprised Sarasota Memorial Hospital health care workers with tickets to #SBLV. pic.twitter.com/iurMY0BvMM
— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2021
All medical personnel who will receive courtesy access from the NFL are from the Tampa and Central Florida area.
At the time of publication of this note, according to figures from the John Hopkins University, the state of Florida is the sixth region in the world with the highest number of confirmed cases; in the United States it ranks third among its entities.
Despite being in the middle of the pandemic and with speculation of the rebound in cases in late fall, the Governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, announced in October that any sporting event in the entity could return to its maximum capacity.
The three NFL clubs in that state (Dolphins, Buccaneers, Jaguars) ignored it and allowed fans on a limited basis, never above 25% of capacity.
To win next Sunday in Lambeau Field, Tampa Bay Buccaneers will become the first team to play the Super Bowl in their own stadium.
