Reopening Day means exciting changes for Dodgers fans. For the first time since the coronavirus pandemic began, the team will open the stadium for full-capacity seating. Michelle Valles reports for Today in LA on June 15, 2021.
At long last, Dodger Stadium will offer full-capacity seating Tuesday night for the first time since 2019, thanks to the statewide lifting of COVID-19 restrictions.
The Dodgers are expecting a capacity crowd for the 7:10 p.m. game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The game is likely to have a party atmosphere as fans look to pack the house without the need for physical distancing or separating into vaccinated and non-vaccinated seating sections.
Face masks, however, will still be a common site at the stadium. Stadium employees "who interact with the public" will continue to wear face coverings, according to the team. Fans who are not vaccinated must wear a mask while in indoor areas, such as retail stores or restaurants while not eating or drinking.
The county Department of Public Health "strongly recommends" that unvaccinated fans continue wearing face masks while at the game, unless they are eating or drinking. Vaccinated fans are not required to wear a mask.
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The first 25,000 fans arriving at the stadium will receive a Justin Turner bobblehead. Country singer Brad Paisley will perform the national anthem, and there will be a celebration of the team's 2020 World Series title. The team will be wearing special-edition gold-trimmed jerseys and caps -- the same that were worn on Opening Day.
Dodger Stadium's Centerfield Plaza will be fully opened for the first time, and Dodger alumni will be mingling with fans. Also open will be the stadium's batting and pitching cages, center-field turf kids area, the Gold Glove bar in the Left Field Pavilion and the Dodgers' Dugout Augmented Reality Photobooth.
Parking lots will open two hours prior to game time, and stadium gates will open 90 minutes before the first pitch.
A COVID-19 vaccination clinic will be operating in the Centerfield Plaza during the games on Tuesday and Wednesday, through the seventh inning. Fans who get vaccinated will receive a voucher for two tickets to a future game, while supplies last.
The Dodgers are expecting another capacity crowd for Wednesday's 7:10 p.m. game against the Phillies, with the first 40,000 fans receiving a Mookie Betts jersey.
The Dodgers will be the Southland's first major sports franchise to enjoy the lifted COVID-19 restrictions. The Angels will not play a home game in Anaheim until Thursday. The Clippers, who are facing the Utah Jazz in an NBA Western Conference semifinal series, are not scheduled to play at Staples Center again until Friday.
