Parties and Covid-19 Outbreaks Threaten University Reopenings in the U.S. – The New York Times

Despite a resurgence of the virus in France, officials from the French Tennis Federation announced on Monday that they will allow spectators at the French Open, which will take place from Sept. 27 to Oct. 11. The plans have been scaled back, however, to 11,500 people a day.

Roland Garros stadium, where the tournament is held, stretches across almost 30 acres and will be split into three separate zones. The two larger ones will allow 5,000 people each; the third will allow 1,500. Normally, the stadium holds about 35,000 people.

The French Tennis Federation, with advice from a committee of expert scientists, is acting responsible and in close collaboration with the French government authorities to draw up a strict protocol that will ensure the health and safety of everyone who is on site at Roland Garros stadium during the tournament, the officials said.

The U.S. Open is currently underway at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, but without any fans in the stadium. The French Open, usually played in late May, was pushed to September because of the pandemic.

In early July, Bernard Giudicelli, the president of the French Tennis Federation, said the tournament may be able to accommodate 20,000 fans per day. At that time, the seven-day average for the daily number of new cases was about 700, according to a New York Times database. In the two months since, the seven-day average has risen to more than 5,000, rivaling the first peak of cases in April. On Friday alone, there were nearly 9,000 new cases.

Spectators will not be able to move between zones of the stadium and everyone over the age of 11 will have to wear face coverings.

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Parties and Covid-19 Outbreaks Threaten University Reopenings in the U.S. - The New York Times