Spectator cap raised at Yokohama Stadium for high-tech anti-virus experiment

A three-day high-tech experiment began Friday at a baseball stadium in Yokohama to study ways to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at major events, with the cap on the number of spectators being raised above the current 50% for large venues.

With the government cautiously seeking to relax restrictions, the cap was moved up to 80% of the stadium's capacity of 32,402 for the game between the DeNA BayStars and the Hanshin Tigers. On Friday night, the attendance was 16,594, barely above 50% of capacity.

The ceiling was raised for the two games on the weekend, and local government officials are hoping to see the stadium fully packed on Sunday. To attract spectators to the games held at Yokohama Stadium, ticket prices have been discounted by 35%.