Green Bay Packers say no fans at home games while virus rampant

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers say that any plans to have fans for home games this season are on indefinite hold due to high COVID-19 rates in the area.

Packers officials said that fans won’t be admitted until there’s a “marked improvement in the rate of hospitalizations, as well as the community infection rate and positivity rate.”

The Packers have played two of their eight scheduled home games already. They don’t have another home game until Nov. 1 against the Minnesota Vikings.

“We are very concerned with the rate of infection in our area,” Packers CEO Mark Murphy said in a statement. “We are trending in the wrong direction in terms of hospitalization and positive cases, and based on recommendations from community health-care and public health officials, hosting fans at the stadium for games is not advisable at this time.”

During his Zoom session after the Packers’ 30-16 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night, Packers coach Matt LaFleur had asked area residents to wear masks and practice social distancing.

“It’s going to take all of us, and I mean that,” LaFleur said. “We’ve just got to keep our players safe and keep everybody safe because that’s important. There’s nothing more important than your health. I’d continue to urge people to be responsible, to think of others, to wear a mask and social distance.”