Spectator limits loosen AGAIN
A new set of guidelines from Governor Tom Wolf will allow more fans to attend B-A football games.
October 7, 2020
Just when you thought the spectator limit for athletic events in Pennsylvania wouldn’t be changed again, Governor Tom Wolf pulls an ace out of his sleeve and changes it – again.
As of last Friday the spectator limit of 250 people at outdoor events and 25 indoors was put back into place by Gov. Wolf. However, yesterday the governor lifted the limit again.
A week before that a judge had granted a stay in a case challenging Wolf’s limitations and local athletic competitions had increased their capacity limits to include ore than just parents.
All of the restrictions are in place to facilitate social distancing as a way of preventing the spread of COVID-19.
The new rule is now based on venue occupation limits. This means that the spectator limit will be unique to each venue based on how many occupants that particular place can accommodate.
The statewide rules for indoor and outdoor capacity all depend on maximum occupancy. For Bellwood, the Memorial Stadium can be filled to 25% capacity, while the percentage drops to 20% for indoor facilities like the gymnasium.
Since Bellwood’s stadium can hold around 2000 people, next Friday’s football game at home will have about 500 people in attendance. This new ruling comes just in time Homecoming which just happens to be next Friday as well.
“We will be working on a plan that offers four tickets to each football player, cheerleader, and band member. But in case not all of those tickets are used, we might make them available to student body and/or community,” athletic director Mr. Charlie Burch said.
Athletes and fans alike were delighted to hear the news, but possibly no one is more excited than Caitlyn McCartney, who is on this year’s Homecoming court.
McCartney said, “I’m glad that my friend said and family can come. It just means a lot.”
For now we can all just be happy that there is a return to some normalcy in our lives right now.
Wolf’s sanctions will impact the volleyball team as well. With a capacity of about 570 in the Bellwood-Antis High School gymnasium, the crowd capacity can go as high as 114 for home games. Volleyball games have been a particular challenge because players, coaches, and officials all count towards the total.
