The New England Patriots have expressed confidence in the fact that NFL games will be held in front of fans this fall – but are also offering their season ticket holders flexibility in the event that they would be at high risk for serious illness being in crowded spaces in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, according to communication sent to members late last week.
“We remain optimistic for the return of football and we are preparing to play each home game as scheduled in front of our Season Ticket Members this fall,” the email said, according to Ben Violin of the Boston Globe.
“We will do so in full compliance with the NFL and all government regulations and will rely on the advice of medical and public health professionals to maintain the safety of our fans, players, and personnel.”
The note indicated that a payment was due for all accounts at the end of June, but also reiterated that the team would allow fans to defer their existing tickets to the 2021 season should they be concerned about their safety in a mass gathering setting. Such deferrals would not incur any penalty related to their seating location, “if because of age or an underlying health condition you are in a population the CDC has identified as being at higher risk of illness from COVID-19 and you have decided now that you prefer not to use your tickets for the 2020 season.”
Regardless of whether or not fans opt out of their tickets for this season, the team promised that any game cancelled or not played in front of fans would be refunded in full, as well as any contests that are played in a fashion which prevented any from attending (such as a partial crowd event where a fan holding tickets were not allowed to attend.
