ARCHIVED - Crowds to return to Spanish football up to 40 per cent of stadium capacity
Facemasks for spectators will be obligatory when La Liga resumes on August 13
One of the decisions to emerge from the weekly meeting of Spain’s Inter-territorial Public Health Committee on Wednesday August 4 was that when the new football season begins (on August 13 in the case of La Liga) spectators will be allowed into stadia up to 40 per cent of capacity.
In other words, when Valencia and Getafe get the season under way the stadium of Mestalla, which can hold 55,000 spectators, will be allowed to welcome a maximum of 22,000 paying customers, and they will be required to observe social distancing protocols during the match as well as wearing facemasks.
The 40 per cent limit has been decided on for outdoor sporting venues while a maximum of 30 per cent is proposed for indoor venues, according to the Minister for Health, Carolina Darias. In addition, she warns that it is preferable for those attending to be members of the home clubs, meaning that the admission of away supporters is discouraged.
At the same time, clubs are required to ensure that spectators are admitted to stadia in staggered fashion rather than en masse, and once inside they will not be allowed to eat or drink with the exception of water, in order to avoid possible queuing and sources of contagion. Smoking and vaping are also to be banned in both indoor and outdoor venues, and for indoor arenas adequate ventilation must be guaranteed.
It is anticipated that these measures will be implemented “between August 13 and the end of the month” (according to Sra Darias) and regional health authorities are invited to suggest other measures as they see fit in the light of future Covid pandemic developments. All 17 regional health services are reported to have been in favour of the package of measures, although the Basque Country abstained from voting on it.
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