Iowa State University has spiked plans to allow 25,000 fans to attend its football home opener and instead will play the game with empty stands.
"Over the weekend, [university president Wendy] Wintersteen gave our working group the approval to move forward with the plans that were jointly developed," Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said in a statement released by the school, according to the Des Moines Register. "Our department announced those plans on Monday, which included allowing fans, who purchased season tickets, to attend the first game."
"President Wintersteen shared with me on Tuesday evening that, after weighing feedback she has received from the community, she has decided to reverse the decision," Pollard added, according to the newspaper. "As a result, we will play the season opener without fans."
The plan to allow 25,000 fans came the same day Ames was called the worst coronavirus hot spot in the United States.
Last week, The New York Times reported Ames had more new cases of coronavirus per capita than any other metro area in the country. In the past few weeks of August, Ames reported 964 cases or 8.2 cases per 1,000 people. In only a week, coronavirus cases shot up from 171 to 793.
On one day in August, Iowa had 2,663 coronavirus cases, the highest in a single day. In response to the surge, GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds issued an order to close all bars and nightclubs until Sept. 20.
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