Baseball Stadium Seats Fall Into 2 Categories: Vaccinated Or Not

LONG ISLAND, NY — The Mets and Yankees are set to expand capacity at stadiums on May 19 — but where and how you sit depends on whether or not you are vaccinated, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday.

"Not Yankees, Mets," Cuomo said. "Vaccinated — unvaccinated."

Vaccinated people will be able to be seated at normal capacity, he said."Sit next to each other in a section, sit next to your friends, sit next to your family. Just normal capacity, normal seating," Cuomo said. "Vaccinated families who have a child 16 under who's not eligible, that child can be seated with the family. We ask them to wear masks, but you attend the ball game like you attended the ball game two years ago."

Those who are vaccinated can show their Excelsior Pass, which is proof of vaccination, and that will determine where they are seated, Cuomo said.

For unvaccinated people, however, the 6-foot distancing applies, with masks; that seating equates to roughly 33 percent capacity in those sections designated for unvaccinated people.

Also, the Mets, Yankees, and the New York State Department of Health have teamed up to offer vaccines at the games. Those who get a vaccine, get a free ticket to a future Yankees or a Mets game, Cuomo said. "We call that a New York home run," Cuomo said.

Cuomo also said as of May 19, large-scale outdoor event venues will only be limited by the space available for people to maintain the required social distance of 6 feet. That applies to outdoor sports, performing arts and live entertainment, and horse and auto racing venues statewide. Social distancing and masks are still required, he said.

And in other news, Broadway theaters will reopen at 100 percent capacity beginning on September 14; tickets go on sale Thursday, Cuomo said.

As of Wednesday, New York's statewide coronavirus positivity rate stands at 1.4 percent, the lowest since October 28, with 31 deaths reported, the governor said.