Citi Field To Reserve 90 Percent Of Seats For Vaccinated Fans

FLUSHING, QUEENS — 90 percent of the seats at the Mets home games will go to vaccinated baseball fans starting next week.

The seats at Citi Field have been divided into sections for vaccinated and unvaccinated spectators since May, but as of June 11 — when the Mets play the Padres at their first home game of the month — 29,500 seats will be reserved for people who have gotten the COVID vaccine, compared to the 3,000 seats that’ll be reserved those who are unvaccinated.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who made this announcement on Wednesday, said that as the city continues to open up, New Yorkers should expect that more opportunities like this will be available for vaccinated people.

“You’re going to see venues opening up with a preference for vaccinated people,” he said, citing Radio City Music Hall as an example, since the venue is slated to open at 100 percent capacity on June 19 just for the fully vaccinated.

Cuomo said that Radio City’s decision to only reopen to vaccinated people is in part a business strategy to “maximize attendance,” which he expects other establishments will do in the future, too.

“The venue wants a full venue, they want the revenue from a whole venue,” he said, noting that per the state’s current COVID guidelines, fully vaccinated people can be seated indoors next to each other, whereas unvaccinated people need to have space to socially distance from others.

“You will see more and more venues moving to more and more vaccinations,” Cuomo said, adding that he expects movie theaters and restaurants will decide to give preference to vaccinated people — like Radio City and Citi Field — in the near future.

“It is a safer environment, and it’s more conducive to business. It also allows more business sales, so it’s another reason to get the vaccine,” he said, appealing to vaccine hesitant New Yorkers — many of whom remain unvaccinated.

And for those who aren’t convinced by safety and business arguments, or the city’s growing list of vaccine incentives, Cuomo reminded New Yorkers that the vaccine is the way that people will be able to return to normalcy.

“This opens doors and allows you to participate in life in a way you are going to want to do,” he said, pulling out his own vaccine card and pointing at it amid the press conference.

“We’re at a new day now, it’s time to start living again,” Cuomo said, adding that the city’s record low rates of COVID infection are an indication that New Yorkers no longer need to be focused on surviving COVID — as many were last year.

“Get a vaccine, go out and enjoy life,” said Cuomo.

Find out more about the COVID-19 vaccine, and where to get it, here.