Nats Park to Increase Fan capacity to 25% per Washington D.C. Health Department (updated with Statement from the Nationals)

Update 4:30pm EDT: The Washington Nationals issued the following statement in response to the Washington D.C. Department letter:

“We are excited to welcome even more of our fans back to Nationals Park starting next Thursday when we take on the Arizona Diamondbacks. As the vaccination rate increases across the region, we look forward to welcoming more fans in the future.”

According to a letter from Dr. Christopher Rodriguez, the Director of the DC Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency, Nats Park can bring back additional fans to the stadium starting for the next homestand. According to the release, the Nationals obtained a waiver to bring back 25% of capacity at the Ballpark based on the following conditions:

1. The Nationals must strictly follow the guidelines in MLB's re-opening document and that of the Washington Nationals - including but not limited to measures for social distancing, cleaning and disinfectant protocols, wellness checks, and education for staff and players.
2. Adhere to the written comments and feedback provided to the team on April 9, 20201 regarding food and beverage service
3. Immediately inform DC's Department of HEath of any COVID-19 laboratory-confirmed positive cases.

Additionally, the team must allow inspectors from DC Health and HSEMA, and other government agencies to inspect facilities to verify compliance.

The Washington Nationals were first able to bring back only 10% of fans for the opening series against the Atlanta Braves