Texas Rangers crowds may lead to COVID surge, top Tarrant County health official says
Tarrant County’s top health official fears a coronavirus surge after almost 40,000 fans filled Globe Life Field on Monday for the Rangers home opener.
“We need to be sensible about how we bring back normal,” said Vinny Taneja, the county’s public health director, on Tuesday. “There are times when you have to be cautious, and right now is the time to be cautious.”
The Texas Rangers announced an attendance of 38,238, which is the largest crowd for a pandemic-era sporting event in the United States. Taneja said he saw two crucial safety protocols that were not followed: maintaining six feet of distance and avoiding large crowds.
Inevitably there were people with coronavirus and they could have spread it, he said. President Joe Biden also blasted the Rangers’ decision to open at full capacity.
“I think it’s a mistake,” Biden told ESPN on April 1. “They should listen to Dr. [Anthony] Fauci, the scientists and the experts. But I think it’s not responsible.”
Hosting such a large crowd is asking for trouble, Taneja said, and he asked Texans to be socially responsible.
In response to Taneja’s comments, Rangers officials said they have COVID-19 mitigation strategies in place, such as requiring masks at all times unless when eating, cashless transactions and social distance messaging. The team will also play with the roof open when possible, a Texas Rangers spokesperson said.
The Rangers are also following MLB protocols, which leave the number of fans permitted to state or local officials. Texas has no COVID-19 restrictions on business capacity and mass gatherings since Gov. Greg Abbott’s order went into effect March 10. Among MLB teams, the Rangers are the only club to allow full capacity, while the Houston Astros are second in the league, allowing 50% capacity. The Colorado Rockies are third, allowing 42.6%.
The Rangers spokesperson said Globe Life Field officials have experience dealing with crowds and COVID-19 protocols. The venue has hosted events since last spring, such as graduations, MLB playoff games and the National Finals Rodeo.
Tarrant County has been on a downward trend in coronavirus cases, hospitalizations and positivity rate since the end of January. The county has gone from reporting almost 20,000 cases a week to about 1,000 to 3,000 in recent weeks.
The positivity rate sits at 6%, down from the peak of 30% in January. On average, people with the disease are transmitting the coronavirus to less than one person.
Taneja said there’s no need to see that progress be diminished with another surge.
“That was hard,” Taneja said about seeing the packed ballpark. “COVID is still active; the flu is still active. Are we really wanting to ask for trouble?”
This story was originally published April 6, 2021 at 4:37 PM.
