Lambeau Field to check COVID-19 protocols at Packers-Bears game

GREEN BAY, Wis. - Sunday’s game between the Green Bay Packers and the Chicago Bears will host a small group of Packers employees and their household family at Lambeau Field to help evaluate COVID-19 protocols that have been implemented. The stadium remains closed on gameday to ticketed fans.

A news release from the Packers said the team is hopeful that hosting ticketed fans will be possible in the coming weeks. The small group invited to Sunday’s game will be part of the process of evaluating the enhanced protocols for fan attendance.

There will be roughly 500 invited guests – and they will model operations such as ingress and egress, concession stand and restroom usage, signage effectiveness and positioning, and distancing of seating pods throughout the stadium bowl.

The team indicated it continues to be guided by recommendations from healthcare partner Bellin Health, as well as officials with Brown County Public Health and will consult with these colleagues to evaluate a variety of factors for the possibility of hosting fans later in the season.

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Across the NFL, other teams have been taking a similar graduated approach, beginning by inviting employees and their households to attend and eventually taking the next step to welcome ticketed fans. While COVID-19 cases are trending upward nationally, no local COVID-19 case clusters have been traced to NFL games according to the relevant health departments in NFL cities. Through Week 10, the NFL had a total of 65 games with more than 550,000 fans in attendance.

Again, the Packers will not host ticketed fans at the Bears or Eagles games. If the team is able to host ticketed fans later this season, season ticket holders who have opted in for the opportunity to purchase tickets will receive instructions about the ticket-purchasing process at a later date.