The members of the Nippon Professional Baseball and J. League joint COVD-19 task force feel their knowledge about the virus and the data they’ve collected has grown exponentially as they enter the body's second year.
This wealth of information has led both leagues to ask the national government to loosen the current restrictions on attendance at large-scale events from a hard cap of 5,000 to a sliding percentage based on the specifications of each stadium. The leagues feel they can operate safely with proper countermeasures in place.
NPB Commissioner Atsushi Saito, speaking after Monday’s task force meeting, said the league’s 12 clubs have sustained significant financial losses over the past year due to the limits on attendance.