Miami Dolphins now allowed to have full capacity of 65,000 fans at Hard Rock Stadium

The Miami Dolphins have been granted clearance to have a full capacity of fans in their stadiums, with the NFL team now allowed to host its entire quota of 65,000 fans in at Hard Rock Stadium. However, despite the permission, Miami Dolphins will not allow more than 13,000 fans into the stadium, owing to Florida’s current COVID-19 rates. Despite the announcement that all coronavirus restrictions would be lifted in the state, Miami Dolphins CEO Tom Garfinkel reiterated that only a certain number of fans will be allowed inside the Miami Dolphins' stadium.

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Miami Dolphins full capacity possible after COVID-19 restrictions lifted

While the NFL team was previously restricted to allow just 13,000 fans inside the Miami Dolphins stadium, they were recently permitted to increase the capacity. The possibility to have more fans arose after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced that all COVID-19 restrictions would be dropped last month. The decision taken by Ron DeSantis meant that the Dolphins are now allowed to have more fans inside the Hard Rock Stadium, permitting the Miami Dolphins to operate at full capacity.

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Miami Dolphins' stadium restrictions to continue

Despite the easing of regulations, Miami Dolphins Vice Chairman and CEO Tom Garfinkel on Wednesday confirmed that the team will continue to allow only 13,000 fans inside the Hard Rock Stadium. Explaining his decision, Garfinkel told the press the team will continue to follow CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) guidelines and put everyone’s safety first.

In the statement, the CEO also admitted that with the positivity rates as they are, the current cap of 13,000 fans is where they feel they can keep everyone safe in a socially distanced environment inside the Miami Dolphins stadium. The Dolphins play their next home game on October 25, with the game continuing to see fans in a restricted capacity inside the stadium. Media reports also mentioned that Dolphins did not make the request for the increase in capacity and have also not contacted Gov DeSantis about the same.

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While the decision to open the economy will offer the Miami Dolphins a chance to operate at full capacity, the fact that the state is one of the hardest hit in the country will be a cause for concern. According to the Daily Mail, Florida’s current COVID-19 positivity rate is 5.26%, with any rate of over 5% flagged by the World Health Organization as concerning. The state of Florida has seen more than 15,000 people die due to COVID-19, with positive cases upwards of 7,22,000.

Image Credits: AP