Getty Image
The NFL announced on Friday that it will be giving 7,500 vaccinated health care workers free tickets to Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay. The league also shared that there will be an additional 14,500 fans allowed to attend the game at Raymond James Stadium.
The stadium’s capacity is 65,890, so with 22,000 fans allowed to attend, this limits the in-person attendance to 33% capacity.
Each of the healthcare workers will have already received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and the majority of them will be locals from the Tampa Bay and central Florida area. Each of the 32 teams around the league will also be able to select healthcare workers from their own cities to attend the Super Bowl as well.
The league intends to enhance its COVID-19 protocols for the Super Bowl. All fans will be required to wear masks, social-distancing will be enforced, and podded seating will be in place. According to Mark Maske of The Washington Post, fans will sit in socially distanced pods of two, four, or six people during the game.
“These dedicated health care workers continue to put their own lives at risk to serve others, and we owe them our ongoing gratitude,” said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “We hope in a small way that this initiative will inspire our country and recognize these true American heroes. This is also an opportunity to promote the importance of vaccination and appropriate health practices, including wearing masks in public settings.”
It’s a phenomenal gesture by the NFL to give free tickets to over 7,000 healthcare workers. Here’s to hoping each and every worker that gets the invite has an incredible time.