Nationals approved to host 5,000 fans with aim to increase capacity in mid-April

The Washington Nationals received approval from Washington, D.C., and MLB to host 5,000 fans at Nationals Park, beginning opening day, with the aim to increase capacity later in April.

Beginning with Washington’s first homestand, which starts April 1 against the Mets and concludes April 7 against the Atlanta Braves, ticket priority goes to Nats Plus members based on tenure and ticket packet size. Tickets will be purchasable in pods of one to six people and suites will be available at reduced capacities.

The Nationals hope to increase their capacity limit for their second homestand, which begins April 15. According to a release, the club will begin discussions with D.C. officials this week to up the capacity limit.

“We look forward to increasing our capacity in the coming weeks,” Mark D. Lerner, managing principal owner of the Nationals, said in a statement. “We cannot wait to have our fans in the stands again, wearing red and cheering on the Nats, as we begin our quest for another World Championship.”

The announcement came with several amendments to gameday operations at Nationals Park.

Face coverings are required for fans two years and older and can only be removed while eating or drinking in the stands. All tickets will be electronic, and each ticket will include a color-coded gate assignment for fans to enter and exit from.

Concession stands will not accept cash, either, and the stands will give food out in closeable packaging. There will also be touchless condiment stations to go along with hundreds of hand sanitizer stations installed around the ballpark.

Further, the Nationals have installed MERV-13 air filters for indoor spaces. Plexiglass and other dividers have been added for locations with considerable face-to-face interactions. There will also be no bags allowed inside the stadium, barring medically required ones, diaper bags or clutch purses under 5” x 7” x 3/4” in size.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser announced Monday that professional sports teams could apply for a waiver to host fans. D.C. United has been approved to host 2,000 fans, and the Nationals are the next team approved. The Wizards and Capitals have also applied.

The 5,000 fans are on the low end for most MLB teams and represents about 12% of Nationals Park’s capacity. Most teams will welcome about 25% capacity, but the Texas Rangers anticipate 100% capacity after Gov. Greg Abbott opened the state fully.

“We are happy to welcome a limited number of the best fans in baseball back home to Nationals Park on Opening Day,” Lerner’s statement read. “Our organization has worked tirelessly with the District of Columbia, nationally-renowned health experts, including Crown & Company, whose principals have guided FIFA and the IOC, and also Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, as well as Major League Baseball, to craft protocols to ensure the safety and well-being of our players, coaches, employees, and our fans as we reopen the ballpark to the public.”