AKRON, Ohio — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.
On June 2, Ohio will drop all of its coronavirus (COVID-19) related health orders. And it won't take long for the Akron RubberDucks to act.
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On Tuesday, the RubberDucks announced that their home stadium, Canal Park, will be returning to its full capacity of 7,630 fans on June 2. Dating back to the RubberDucks' season opener on May 4, Canal Park has been operating at a capacity of 47 percent, or roughly 3,600 fans.
“This news has been a long time in the making, from our safe reopening for special events in June of 2020 to beginning the 2021 RubberDucks season this month with our safe reopening plan. We are so thrilled to have all of our RubberDucks fans back here at Canal Park and express tremendous gratitude to all of the city and state officials, gameday staff, and front office staff who worked tirelessly with us to keep our community safe at Canal Park,” Akron RubberDucks owner Ken Babby said in a statement. “Along with our partners at Union Home Mortgage we want to Welcome You Back Home to Canal Park!”
Prior to June 1, Canal Park will maintain its safe reopening plan, requiring fans to wear an appropriate face mask and follow all social-distancing guidelines during games. On Monday, the City of Akron removed its public mask mandate just hours after Ohio Governor Mike DeWine updated the state's health order to reflect CDC guidance that individuals who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 no longer need to wear masks.
Beginning on June 2, Canal Park will no longer require masks or social distancing measures.