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Yankees to host 1st game with vaccinated section as local sports teams ramp up attendance

Coronavirus update for NYC

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Friday, May 21, 2021

Yankees to host 1st game with vaccinated section, NY teams up attendance

The New York Yankees host their first home game with a section reserved for fully vaccinated fans when they face the Chicago White Sox Friday.

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- The New York Yankees host their first home game with a section reserved for fully vaccinated fans when they face the Chicago White Sox Friday.

The Mets first home game with a vaccinated section is set for Monday night against the Colorado Rockies.

The NBA playoffs also start this weekend, with the Knicks announcing they will have 15,000 fans -- the most in the league -- when they open their series against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden Sunday night.

Ryan Field has the latest capacity rules announced for Yankee Stadium and Citi Field.

The Knicks said 90% of their fans will be vaccinated for the team's first playoff game since 2013, which will be the largest indoor gathering in the state since the start of the pandemic.

By contrast, the Hawks will hold a capacity of 7,600 for Games 3 and 4.

The Nets open their series against the Boston Celtics in Brooklyn Saturday night, and the Barclays Center will have more seats for vaccinated than unvaccinated and will charge more for tickets in the unvaccinated section.

More than 10,000 fans expected to be in Barclays Center for Game 1, the largest crowd at the arena since the start of the pandemic.

Corey Kluber threw the the major leagues' sixth no-hitter this season and second in two nights, leading the New York Yankees over the Texas Rangers 2-0 on Wednesday night.

"For many of us, this pandemic became real when NBA suspended season in March," Nets and Barclays Center CEO John Abbamondi said. "CDC and New York announcing we could reopen to full capacity, the return of basketball, is a signal we're almost done."

The Islanders got a jump on all this Thursday night, with about 7,200 fans in attendance for their Game 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Nassau Coliseum.