Chicago Cubs, White Sox To Offer Vaccinated-Only Sections

CHICAGO, IL — The Chicago Cubs and White Sox and will open a special section for those who’ve been fully vaccinated during home games in the coming days, Gov. J.B Pritzker announced Thursday.

Up until now, stadium capacity at both Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field has been capped at 25 percent. The addition of the vaccinated section will get more fans in seats at upcoming games. For the Cubs, the designated area will be open during its four-game series next week, and for the White Sox, the section will be available for games this weekend.

Both teams will open ticket sales for the games at 3 p.m. Thursday.

From there, stadium seating will increase to 60 percent capacity for both teams later this month before the state fully reopens on June 11.

• Bridge Phase To Start Next Week; Full Reopening In June: Pritzker

The Chicago Cubs announced Thursday afternoon that Wrigley Field's capacity will reach 60 percent starting on May 28. Single game tickets for May 28 through June 2 will go on sale starting at 10 a.m. on May 18.

Meanwhile, tickets for the Cubs' section for fully-vaccinated fans will only be available for next week's four-game series against the Washington Nationals. Tickets for the games, which will run from May 17-20, go on sale at 3 p.m. Thursday.

The vaccinated-only area will be located in the upper section of the center field Budweiser bleachers, according to a Chicago Cubs news release. This area will be sold at full capacity and seats will not be physically distanced.

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The tickets will be $20 plus applicable taxes and fees and will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

Fans 16 and older attending the game in the fully vaccinated area will be required to present a paper, photo or electronic copy of their record of full vaccination and a photo ID upon entry at the Budweiser Bleacher Gate. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a person is considered “fully vaccinated” two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine.

Tickets cannot be transferred, forwarded or resold, and all tickets will be delivered to one account through the MLB Ballpark app. Children ages 3 to 15 years old may accompany their parent, guardian or sponsor in the fully vaccinated area but must present proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

A negative test result must be from a PCR test taken no more than 72 hours before the game or an antigen test taken no more than 24 hours before the game, according to the Cubs statement.

Children 2 years or younger may accompany their fully vaccinated parent, guardian or sponsor in the fully vaccinated area without a negative test.

The Sox will open up sections 108 to 109 to fully-vaccinated fans for four games this weekend. No physical distancing will be in place in the designated area. The new section will be available starting with Game 1 of a doubleheader against Kansas City on May 14.

Tickets in the vaccinated-only section will go on sale starting at 3 p.m. Thursday at whitesox.com.

Proof of vaccination and a photo ID must be presented at the ballpark to gain access to the vaccinated-only section.

The Sox plan to increase the capacity at Guaranteed Rate Field to 60 percent, which amounts to about 24,300 fans, starting on May 24, the team announced Thursday.

“We have been working toward this moment and have always looked forward to welcoming more fans back to Guaranteed Rate Field in a safe and responsible way,” said Brooks Boyer, White Sox chief revenue and marketing officer. “We have seen great success providing a safe and enjoyable gameday experience for guests in April, and as we see more people get vaccinated, we are thrilled to bring more fans into the ballpark to experience White Sox baseball in person and cheer on our first-place team on the field.”

Tickets for games at Guaranteed Rate Field starting on May 24 through June 16 will be offered in seating pods with an open seat between pods within the same row.

In addition, starting on May 24, the White Sox will offer two vaccination sites for fans located at Guaranteed Rate Field. Every fan who receives a vaccination before a game will receive a $25 White Sox gift card for use inside the ballpark.

Pritzker said fans attending games, even those in the vaccinated-only sections, will still need to wear masks. State health officials worked with the Chicago sports teams to open up more seats, in particular, to those who've been vaccinated.

"This allows more capacity," Pritzker said Thursday. "That to us is a big win-win."