University in coronavirus hot spot to host 25,000 sports fans

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Even with the highest recorded new COVID-19 cases the Iowa-based State Cyclones football plans to let 25,000 fans watch their game live at the Jack Trice Stadium on September 12.
• Attendees will need to observe the guidelines set such as wearing face coverings and remaining on their socially-distanced seats.
• According to the New York Times, Iowa has recorded over 8,000 new cases in the past week.

Despite being in the top COVID-19 hit city in the US, the Iowa-based Cyclones football collegiate team is still considering to draw crowds and host the upcoming games this fall.

On Monday, Jamie Pollard, Iowa State athletic director, said that they will permit around 25,000 supporters to pack their Jack Trice Stadium for the season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette on September 12.

Attendees will be required to wear face coverings while inside the vicinity. Crowds will need to stay put in their designated socially-distanced seats. Tailgating lots will be closed as well.

In a letter to fans using the Des Moines Register, Pollard said: “If our mitigation actions are successful, we will allow all season ticket purchasers to attend the Oklahoma game Oct. 3. However, if we determine that mitigation measures were not followed adequately at the first game, we will have no fans at future games [beginning with Oklahoma].”

If the first game will not go well, Pollard said that he is flexible to make a change. He said that fans need to be “100 percent” compliant with the guidelines they will set.

“I’ll have zero tolerance for any fan that doesn’t comply, I don’t care how much money they give,” Pollard wrote. “If you want to be in the stadium, you’re going to have to comply with what we’ve put together. If you don’t do it, then we don’t want you here.”

“This is a big opportunity to support our student-athletes. They want to play. They want to have fans. So we’re putting in place what we feel is necessary for us to be able to do that,” he added.

When 93 new cases were recorded among the University of Iowa athletes last week, the Hawkeyes suspended workouts for all teams.

Story County, where Iowa State is, reported a 14-day new case rate of 21.3 percent. About 80 percent of the positive cases were aged 18 to 40.

Earlier this month, Iowa State opened the school year for in-person classes. 

Iowa faced a surge of new COVID-19 infections over the past week. It is currently the worst-hit state in the US. According to The New York Times, Ames, where Iowa State University is located, had the highest COVID-19 cases in the US on Monday, having nearly 10 percent new infections per 1,000 people. Iowa City, where the University of Iowa is, is presently in second place on the list. 

The US recorded over six million coronavirus cases and 183,000 fatalities due to COVID-19 as of Monday night, The New York Times reported. Iowa reported around 65,000 confirmed cases where 8,000 were recorded just last week.

Source: AOL.com