The Wells Fargo Center Will Allow Fans Starting Sunday for Flyers & 76ers Games
The city of Philadelphia just raised its occupancy limits for indoor and outdoor venues, which will allow the Wells Fargo Center to open starting on Sunday, March 7.
The City of Philadelphia is working with local stadiums and venues to roll out plans, the city’s Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley said on Tuesday.
The city’s guidelines now match the state of Pennsylvania's guidelines, which allow outdoor venues to host 20% of their maximum capacity. Indoor venues are capped at 15% of their occupancy.
Previously, under the guidelines, the arena was only allowed to welcome 500 fans. Now the Wells Fargo Center says it will be able to host 3,100 fans for Flyers and 76ers games.
They shared the news on their website in an announcement titled "Back to Broad Street."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsi4bvR2mWk
Fans attending an event must wear a mask, complete a health assessment, and follow social distancing guidelines in the arena, they say. Click here to learn more about the safety guidelines.
When the state of Pennsylvania announced the updated guidelines on Monday, the city said it was reviewing how they may implement those updates.
“Pennsylvania is taking a measured approach to revising or lifting mitigation orders,” Gov. Wolf said. “The reason we are seeing cases drop can be attributed, in part, to people following the mitigation efforts we have in place."
The news comes as the CDC announced a slight increase in COVID-19 cases across the country, following a several-week decline in the active caseload. They're warning that variants of the disease could "dangerously accelerate the trajectory of the pandemic."
"We need to balance protecting public health with leading the state to a robust economic recovery. We are lifting mitigation efforts only when we believe it is safe to do so," Governor Wolf said in a statement on Monday.
Hundreds of employees will also return to work at the Wells Fargo Center, which has not hosted an event (in front of a crowd) since last March.
“We’ve been working around the clock to ensure that we can safely welcome Flyers and 76ers fans back to Wells Fargo Center, and we’re thrilled to open our doors to Philly sports fans once again,” Valerie Camillo, the President of Business Operations for the Philadelphia Flyers and Wells Fargo Center said in a statement. "This is a big deal for our building and our teams, but it’s also an important step for our local economy.
The Philadelphia Flyers are scheduled to host the Washington Capitals at 7 pm on Sunday in the Wells Fargo Center.
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