Last week, a baseball team in southern Sonora, Mexico won its first game of the season, playing at home to a stadium full of excited fans. But fans won’t be allowed back in the Sonora stands anytime soon after flouting coronavirus safety protocols.
As Mexico’s Pacific League baseball season started up last week, all three teams in Sonora were authorized to open stadiums to the public at 40% capacity with coronavirus safety measures in place. But state officials revoked that authorization Saturday after photos and videos of the first home game in Sonora showed fans apparently disregarding requirements to maintain a safe distance and properly wear face coverings. Several photographs of packed stands with fans wearing masks around their chins and necks — if at all — quickly spread on social media Friday.
“And since this represents a risk for Sonorans of an increased spread of COVID-19, we have determined that the authorization will be cancelled," officials said in a statement release Saturday.
Now, all three Sonoran baseball teams will have to play home games in front of empty stands. At least three other teams in the league are also barring live audiences this season to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
So far, reported coronavirus cases and deaths in Sonora, and in Mexico, do not seem to indicate a resurgence of the coronavirus, like many parts of the world are currently experiencing. But Sonoran health officials say the state’s baseball stadiums are located in municipalities with the virus, requiring residents there to be especially vigilant about following safety protocols.
