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California will allow fans at pro sports games, but it won't happen in LA anytime soon

By Mary Stringini
Updated  October 21, 2020 9:03am PDT
Coronavirus in SoCal
FOX 11

LOS ANGELES - California on Tuesday released guidelines for allowing professional sporting events to reopen, but fans won't be getting a chance to cheer on their favorite teams in Los Angeles anytime soon, based on the governor's color-coded coronavirus reopening system.

According to California Health and Human Services Secretary, Dr. Mark Ghaly, professional sporting events at outdoor stadiums can only reopen if the county reaches the "Orange Tier," or moderate tier, or the "Yellow Tier," meaning the county has minimal transmission of COVID-19.


If a county reaches the orange tier, outdoor professional sporting events can reopen at 20% capacity and if a county reaches the yellow tier, they can reopen at 25% capacity.

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Currently, Los Angeles County is in the most restrictive, "Purple Tier," on the state's reopening guidelines. Meaning the county would need to move to the "Red Tier," and remain in that tier for three weeks, before moving into the orange tier. However, that won't happen anytime soon based on the state's metrics, which require less than four daily new COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents in the orange tier.

Current tier status in California as of October 20, 2020. (Courtesy: California's COVID-19 website)

When professional sporting events reopen, all attendees and staff will be required to wear a face-covering throughout the stadium unless eating or drinking. Concession stands will remain closed and eating and drinking must take place in a person's assigned seat. Tailgating is also prohibited.

The state also says that ticket sales must be restricted to customers within a 120-mile radius of the stadium, in order to discourage people out of state from traveling to games.

Tickets will be required to be sold in advance and no will-call ticket sales are permitted, Ghaly stated.