The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
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Kroenke Sports & Entertainment announced Wednesday that state health officials have approved an increased capacity at Ball Arena for Denver Nuggets and Colorado Avalanche playoff games.
The current approved capacity of 4,050 fans will increase to 7,750 fans for the NHL and NBA playoffs later this month.
That new figure represents 42.3% of seating capacity at the Denver arena.
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The Toronto Blue Jays are moving north in June and have added fully vaccinated seating sections at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, increasing the ballpark’s seating capacity to 35% for the first eight home games.
That’s in line with the latest guidelines from New York state. The Blue Jays will play several home games in Buffalo due to restrictions in cross-border travel between the U.S. and Canada because of COVID-19.
Blue Jays tickets go on sale on May 20, and tickets for the minor league Bisons go on sale Tuesday.
Fans can purchase a maximum of four tickets per game, choosing between physically distanced and fully vaccinated seating sections. Tickets will be sold in pods of up to four seats, with each pod spaced a minimum of six feet apart. They’re available to both vaccinated and non-vaccinated fans.
Fully vaccinated sections will be able to have full capacity.
Face coverings will be required for all fans aged two and older.
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Georgia Tech will allow full capacity at 55,000-seat Bobby Dodd Stadium and on-campus tailgating for the 2021 football season.
Georgia Tech joins baseball’s Atlanta Braves, the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United in announcing the return to 100% capacity at their respective facilities.
Athletic director Todd Stanbury cited increased vaccinations, declining COVID-19 rates and updated guidance from health officials for the change. Georgia Tech allowed about 20% capacity and banned on-campus tailgating during the 2020 season. Stanbury says there’s confidence in being able to maintain a safe environment while bringing back the full college football gameday experience.
The Yellow Jackets are set to play six games at Bobby Dodd Stadium this fall, beginning with the Sept. 4 season opener against Northern Illinois. They also will host North Carolina at nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium as part of a new multi-year arrangement to play one game each season at the 75,000-seat home of the Falcons.
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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
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