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Gene J. Puskar / AP
Young baseball players are competing for a spot in the Little League World Series. But when the popular tournament begins next week, the general public will not be invited due to the spike in COVID-19 cases driven by the delta variant.
Last year’s Little League tournament was canceled for the first time in its history. The decision to host this year’s tournament with only a very limited number of spectators is “disappointing,” officials said, but they add that the decision is required by the new wave of coronavirus.
Organizers had planned to hand out some 3,000 tickets for each day of the tournament, which is traditionally played in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Corn they have now pulled this shot, citing the need to protect players and their families, as well as coaches and volunteers.
The Little League World Series is scheduled to take place from August 19-29 and will feature the top two teams from each of the eight US regional tournaments.
In-person spectators will be limited to “family and friends of our 16 participating teams and our highest level volunteers and supporters,” said Steve Keener, President and CEO of Little League International.
Teams participating in the tournament will each receive 250 passes for their friends and family, according to organizers.
“All spectators, regardless of their immunization status, will also be strongly encouraged to wear a face mask while in the complex, especially when in any indoor facility during their visit,” the league said.
Little League organizers decided in May to move forward with hosting the baseball and softball tournaments this summer. The softball tournament is already in progress in Greenville, North Carolina
“As this virus evolves, we must continue to remain vigilant and do everything possible to reduce the exposure to COVID-19 of our players and participants,” said Dr Daniel Lueders, a doctor who heads the advisory committee on Little League pandemic.
“Cutting back on fans at Williamsport is a disappointing but necessary step that we need to take to support this effort at this time,” Lueders said.
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