Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Yankees & Mets Will Give Free Tickets To People Who Get Vaccinated At Stadiums
By
Ben Yakas
Published May 5, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Ben Yakas
Published May 5, 2021
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Earlier this week, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that most capacity restrictions for businesses, restaurants and cultural venues would be lifted by May 19th. While stadiums and arenas such as Citi Field and Yankees Stadium were set at a much more conservative 33% capacity, Cuomo announced a major shift in that policy during a press briefing on Wednesday: starting May 19th, both baseball stadiums will be able to increase capacity by splitting their seating between vaccinated and unvaccinated fans.
The stadiums will be allowed 100% capacity for fully vaccinated fans in certain sections, while also keeping part of their stadiums reserved for unvaccinated fans at 33% capacity—these fans are still subject to the CDC six foot social distancing guideline. Cuomo also said that the previous stadium policy, which allowed people in who had proof of a recent negative COVID test, will be thrown out.
Masks will still be required in stadiums in both sections. Children under 16, who aren't eligible for vaccine shots currently, will be allowed to accompany their families to vaccinated sections.
In addition, to encourage people to get vaccinated, Cuomo unvaccinated fans will be able to get a Johnson & Johnson shot at both stadiums before a game: "You're going to the game anyway, it's on your way, stop and get a vaccine," he said. And the cherry on top: if you get the shot there, you get a free ticket to a future Mets or Yankees game.
Some of the details are still being ironed out—like how exactly the seating will be divided up—but Yankees president Randy Levine said more information would be put on the teams' website soon.
"Basically, you come to the game, take a vaccine shot, get a voucher, go to that game, if that game's sold out you can go the next night or go to a game of your choice," Levine said. "We're all in on this, we're excited to be a part of this, we're excited to have more and more fans in the building because our players love it, we love it, and it gives New Yorkers a chance to get back to normal."
Asked about the legality of having separate sections for vaccinated people, Cuomo argued that this new policy did not amount to segregation, and compared it to similar restaurant capacity requirements and rules.
"You have no right to have to sit next to another person, that's what it comes down to," Cuomo said. "If you're in an unvaccinated section, there's no one sitting next to you. If you're in a vaccinated section, someone is sitting next to you. So you'd have to argue, 'No, I demand a seat where someone is sitting next to me and you're infringing on my right by not allowing me to sit next to someone.'"
"What is the complaint? I don't want the seat next to me empty?"
And Cuomo reassured that unvaccinated people won't be punished with bad seats: "It's not like you get the nosebleed seat because you're unvaccinated and the vaccinated people get the better seats," he said. "It doesn't work that way."
The new rules on stadiums will also apply to other minor league baseball teams around the state.
Tagged
Governor Andrew Cuomo
pandemic
COVID-19
coronavirus
vaccinations
yankee stadium
Yankees
baseball
citi field
mets
Ben Yakas
Ben Yakas is a former Gothamist reporter.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
Spoiler alert: It's still 26.2 miles.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 14, 2026
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .