Mike DeWine Said He Thinks Fans Could Be Allowed In The Stands At Athletic Events This Fall

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine thinks there is a chance fans will be allowed to be in the stands for some sporting events this fall. The key, he told C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic, is how people behave leading up to various activities, according to Darin Gantt of Pro Football Talk.

DeWine said there are encouraging signs that sporting events could be one of the only group activities that would be relatively safe during the coronavirus pandemic. That’s because most of the studies he’s seen show that the disease is far more dangerous indoors than it is in an open-air stadium.

“It’s all a question of distance,” DeWine said. “One of the things you would worry about with football, frankly, is what’s going on outside Ohio State Stadium, for example. We’re used to 100,000 or so people at Ohio State, but then you go outside and you’ve got parties and everything going on out there. On some days, they claim to have more people outside than inside [the stadium]. That would be a real concern.”

He went on to say there’s really nothing magical about fighting the pandemic. He said it’s “distance, covering and washing your hands.” He added it’s the gathering together that has those in and around sports nervous.

DeWine also talked about individuals having get-togethers where there are 20, 30, or 40 attendees. They might even all know each other, but he said that doesn’t give them any protection against COVID-19. He said the issue is being bunched up and close together. He said when you extrapolate that out to hundreds and even thousands of perfect strangers in a ballpark, it becomes even more dangerous.

He added that there are considerations all over the ballpark that have to be taken into account, including how things are going to work at concession stands. He said there needed to be awareness of keeping everyone from standing too close to each other after they ordered and waited for their food and drinks.

DeWine is one of the only governors in the country that issued a statewide mandate on mask-wearing in public places. He said one of the reasons he did that is because he thinks it increases the chances of having fans in the stands this fall.

“We can knock this virus on the head,” DeWine said. “We’re not going to get rid of it, it’s going to be with us until we have a vaccine, but we can knock it in the head pretty good and it’s going to make our fall look a whole lot better.”

The governor’s comments came just a few days after the NFL announced that if spectators are allowed, they will all have to wear masks when they’re attending any football games.