1000 spectators to be allowed in stadiums of three Italian regions

The northern regions of Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia Romagna have decided that from this Saturday onwards, they will allow up to 1000 spectators in open venues and 700 in those games played in covered venues.

Veneto and Emilia Romagna were the first regions to announce the opening of the stadiums at reduced capacity and Lombardy, where Milan play Bologna this Monday at San Siro in the first matchday of the Serie A, was the last to announce this with a statement.

"As of this Saturday, September 19, the public in Lombardy is allowed to participate in sports events and competitions, including those considered of high national interest by the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI)", reads the statement from the Lombardy region.

The northern region highlighted that "public participation is permitted only in sports facilities where it is possible to ensure the allocation of seats and, in any case, to an extent not exceeding 25% of the authorised capacity and not exceeding 1,000 people in open-air facilities and 700 in closed ones".

Stewards will take the temperature of all spectators and deny entry to anyone with a temperature that exceeds 37.5 degrees. 

The decisions from Lombardy, Veneto, and Emilia Romagna come after the minister of sport announced that he would be allowing access to a maximum of 1000 people to the final of the Italian Open in Rome. 

"Finally, from the semi-finals and the final of the tennis tournament, a thousand people will be able to attend all the sports competitions held outdoors, respecting with the utmost care the rules provided for distancing, masks, seat reservations", Spadafora assured.

"It marks the first, but important, step towards a return, and hopefully soon, to the normality of sport", added the Minister of Sport.