Nippon Professional Baseball and the J. League will take a more evidence-oriented approach as they move toward potentially increasing the number of fans allowed to attend games, the two pro circuits said Monday after the 18th meeting of their joint COVID-19 task force.
The members of the task force, which in recent weeks has included a pair of epidemiologists as well as experts who perform research on events involving large gatherings, have said they are united in their goal to find a way to safely raise the limits on attendance by carefully analyzing the potential risks of infection.
The trial that will be conducted at Yokohama Stadium at the end of this month is expected to be a significant step in the process. The Yokohama BayStars will host a three-game series against the Hanshin Tigers from Oct. 30, with the stadium at roughly 80% of capacity.