Chiefs to allow 16,000 fans at Sept. 10 NFL opener vs. Texans

Aug. 18 (UPI) -- The Kansas City Chiefs will allow about 16,000 fans to attend their game against the Houston Texans in the first contest of the 2020 NFL season Sept. 10 in Kansas City, Mo., amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Chiefs announced Monday they will allow 22% of the capacity of Arrowhead Stadium due to COVID-19-related safety precautions. The stadium has a capacity of about 73,000.

Fans will be required to wear masks at all times -- unless they are eating or drinking -- while in the stadium. The Chiefs will provided commemorative masks to all fans for the first three games at Arrowhead. Bags will be prohibited inside the facility.

Single-game tickets for the Chiefs' first three home games will go on sale on Monday for season ticket holders.

Tickets for those games will be sold in grouped "pod" sections of seats with a maximum of six seats in the same pod allowed per purchase.

The Chiefs worked with the NFL and local health and government officials to develop guidelines for fans to attend games in 2020. The team said it will continue to follow the recommendations and could allow "different capacities" later in the season.

The Chiefs will have enhanced sanitization measures throughout Arrowhead and will put staff members through health screenings before they enter the facilities. Guests will see new physical distancing measures and hand sanitizers will be available throughout the stadium.

Vendors at Arrowhead will not accept cash, which will minimize contact between guests and staff. Smoking and spitting will be prohibited.

Tailgating will be allowed inside stadium parking lots before the game, but fans are only allowed to tailgate with those who have tickets in their corresponding pod of seats. Guests will be required to enter the stadium through specific gates based on their ticket location.

The Chiefs will face the Baltimore Ravens and Los Angeles Chargers on the road before they return home to host the New England Patriots on Oct. 4. The Chiefs' third home game of 2020 will be against the Las Vegas Raiders on Oct. 11.

Several NFL teams have said they won't have fans in their stadiums at the start of the season, but have not ruled out the possibility for the entire season.

The Washington Football Team and Las Vegas Raiders are the only NFL teams -- so far -- to say fans won't attend their home games for the entire 2020 season.