Seattle Mariners to allow 9,000 fans on Opening Day, first time since 2019

The Seattle Mariners will join the list of sports teams allowing some fans in this upcoming season, the organization announced Thursday.

As Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced the state would be moving to Phase 3 of its most recent reopening plan, the Mariners rolled out a news release saying 9,000 fans would be allowed in T-Mobile Park on April 1 and the subsequent 10 games.

John Stanton, Seattle Mariners chairman and managing partner, said the Mariners had been working with state and local health officials for several months to get ready for the first fans at games since 2019. This included developing several safety measures, including cashless transactions, streamlined security lines, digital ticketing, sanitation protocols, and a requirement to wear masks at all times unless actively eating or drinking.

King County and Washington approved the plan to put fans back in the seats of T-Mobile Park.

“I want to thank Governor Inslee, King County Executive Constantine and Mayor Durkan for their leadership and Public Health Seattle and King County Director Patty Hayes and her department for their guidance through this process as we have worked to create a safe experience at T-Mobile Park for fans, our players and employees,” Stanton said.

The release said T-Mobile Park received certification from the Global Biorisk Advisory Council for "for mitigating risks associated with the virus responsible for COVID-19."

The news was paired with Inslee's announcement that Washington would reopen restaurants, gyms, movie theaters and other indoor places to 50% capacity, up from the 25% it was at during Phase 2. This all came on the same day local health officials aired concerns about a potential fourth surge as the state's cases hit a plateau.

"I'm very concerned about the possibility of a fourth wave, in addition to the new variants," said Acting State Health Officer Scott Lindquist during a Thursday news conference. "I'm really concerned about where this sets us up for the future."

But Washington has been faring well during the latter stages of the pandemic, as highlighted in the New York Times on Thursday. The city of Seattle's death rate was the lowest among the country's 20 largest metro areas.

"We think there's reason to be optimistic and we think this gives us reason to keep moving forward," Inslee said during a news conference Thursday.

Tickets for the M's will go on sale on March 27.