CMS To Allow 500 Spectators At School Sporting Events

CHARLOTTE, NC — School sporting events are about to see a dramatic increase in fans. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will begin allowing 500 spectators at outdoor sporting events beginning March 1, it said.

Gov. Roy Cooper announced Wednesday that after months of restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus, the state would ease restrictions Friday, Feb. 26. The move means North Carolina residents will be able to enjoy indoor service at bars and attend indoor sporting events in limited numbers, as well as gather in larger numbers indoors and outdoors, he said.

While athletes will have a larger audience of fans, there will still be restrictions, CMS said.

"The home team will be allowed 300 spectators and the visiting team 200 spectators. CMS athletic directors will communicate information to families on digital ticket sale structure and availability. Face coverings are required on CMS property at all times and social distancing regulations remain in effect," the school district told Patch in an email.

SEE ALSO: NC To Ease Coronavirus Restrictions, Allow Larger Gatherings

The current limit of 100 spectators at outdoor athletic events will remain in effect through the end of this week, the school district said.

The new executive order is set to ease, but not fully eliminate, many COVID-19 restrictions throughout the state Friday, said Cooper, who likened the move to a "dimmer switch."

"The only restriction we will lift is the Modified Stay at Home order," Cooper said. "That means no more curfew starting Friday, and more opportunities to gather, shop and attend events if done safely."

Cases have decreased in North Carolina since the peak in January and are at levels mirroring October 2020, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen said Wednesday. The percent of positive tests in the state has decreased to under 7 percent, and hospitalizations are down to levels reported before the holidays, in November 2020, she said.

"With the new variants in the state, we need to keep our guard up," Cohen said. "The new COVID-19 variants are a wild card."

State public health officials reported a statewide positivity rate of 6 percent Wednesday and more than 3,300 new cases, increasing North Carolina's tally to 850,000 cases. As of Wednesday, at least 11,074 state residents had died from COVID-19, according to DHSS.

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