MINNEAPOLIS — The Minnesota Vikings said the team's final four games will remain closed to fans.
"After much consideration and discussion with U.S. Bank Stadium partners, the State of Minnesota and the City of Minneapolis, we will no longer pursue hosting more than 250 fans for the remaining 2020 Vikings regular season home games," the team said in a Wednesday press release.
"We take seriously Minnesota’s rising COVID infection rates and increasing hospitalizations and believe closing the final four home games to fans is the right decision to help protect our community," the statement continued.
Earlier in the pandemic, Vikings team leadership began testing game day protocols by hosting up to 250 family members of Vikings personnel.
Vikings spokesperson Jeff Anderson told KARE 11 that while no final decisions have been made, the team intends to keep hosting family members of players, coaches and staff within that 250 limit.
In Wednesday's statement, the team said it looked forward to welcoming fans back to the U.S. Bank Stadium next season.
"To be in a position to do that, we strongly encourage everyone in Minnesota to take the necessary precautions to minimize the spread of this virus by wearing face coverings, practicing proper social distancing and limiting social gatherings," the statement ended.
