From the headline, I am sure that I am going to get some backlash about this opinion. However, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser recently commented that D.C. is looking to lift some virus-related restrictions on businesses, possibly including attendance at professional sports games as soon as Mid-March according to Washington Post Julie Zauzmer. At this point, the Mayor needs to start letting fans decide if they want to return to watch the Nationals play at Nats Park.

Other Washington area teams have played in front of fans during the pandemic On Sunday, the Washington Capitals played in front of fans for the first time this season, traveling north to play against the Philadelphia Flyers. The Flyers became the 16th team to allow some fans at a game during the COVID-19 pandemic. Philadelphia was allowed to have the Wells Fargo Center at 15% capacity. Last fall, the Washington Football Team played in front of fans, even hosting fans at FedEx Field on November 8th.

(Related Article: Perspective: Washington Nationals fans are left wondering if they will be returning to Nats Park this season)

Cities that were hit the hardest during the COVID-19 pandemic have already indicated that they will allow fans back into the baseball stadiums come Opening Day. At one point last year, New York City was the epicenter for the COVID-19 pandemic, but they’ve been allowing fans to attend NHL games at Madison Square Garden. Both the New York Yankees and New York Mets will be allowing fans back in their respective stadiums. According to New York State Health Officials, additional restrictions for Yankee Stadium and Citi Field are being put into place, including a requirement that all staff and spectators receive a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours before the game, as well as mandatory temperature checks and contact data before entering the stadiums.

According to reports, all the baseball stadiums in California (yes you read that correctly CALIFORNIA) will be allowing fans back in the Stadium soon. According to Baseball Stadium Digest, 19 baseball teams will be letting fans back into their parks come Opening Day or shortly thereafter.

Recently, a petition went up on Change.org asking the D.C. Mayor to bring back the fans to Nationals Park. The petition mentions an interesting part of a press conference on March 5th, where Health Director Laquandra Nesbitt said: "So this notion that mass gatherings whether indoor or outdoor are all of a sudden appropriate, we need to make sure we're distinguishing between what happens in a small indoor space with a small number of people such as the education environment, versus a mass gathering, whether it be indoor or outdoor that still carries a significant risk for the individual and for the public health and health system."

The petition then raises the question: "So reduced indoor restaurant dining is OK? Indoor Church services are OK? But outside, socially distanced, reduced attendance baseball games in massive stadiums are forbidden?"

According to some data reported yesterday in the District of Columbia, it was announced that out of over 714,000 residents, there were only 146 new infections and, thankfully, ZERO deaths from Covid-19.

Also, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced that the state will lift capacity limits at restaurants, bars, stores and other establishments, including venues like Camden Yards and Pimlico as of 5PM Friday.

Yes, of course, we agree that we should all be safe, and the city is looking out for its citizens. However, there is a template for keeping people safe at sporting events that are outside. The NFL has proved that it can be done and at the end of the day, it will be left up to individual fans to make the decision like we all have been doing since COVID-19 hit the USA a year ago. Just let us make that choice.

Edited by: Jonathan Mailloux