BOSTON – MARCH 21: In anticipation of the first Celtics game scheduled to have fans in attendance on March 29th, some employees of the team were in the stands for a dry run. These people are pictured during pre game warmups. The Boston Celtics hosted the Orlando Magic in a regular season NBA basketball game at the TD Garden in Boston on March 21, 2021. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Celtics fans will be back in the stands at Boston's TD Garden Monday night for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.
About 2,200 people will be able to watch the Celtics tip off against the New Orleans Pelicans at 7:30 p.m. Monday, representing 12% of the venue's capacity.
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The game will be the second major sporting event with spectators in Massachusetts since the coronavirus pandemic began after the Bruins faced the New York Islanders at the Garden last week. Limitations and capacity restrictions for sporting events were set in Phase 4, Step 1 of Massachusetts' reopening plan.
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The stadium looks a little different now, with new "Play It Safe" guidelines and protocols in place.
Seats are in pods, hand sanitizer stations are scattered throughout and masks required at all times in the venue. Fans must use their phones to show their tickets, order food and buy souvenirs. Bags are prohibited.
The stadium also implemented new entry gates and designated "neighborhoods," as well as physically distanced exits. Anyone entering TD Garden must fill out a "Play it Safe promise" the day of event.
Venue officials said they planned to enforce these rules.
Meanwhile, the Celtics said Evan Fournier was available to make his debut with the team after being delayed due to health and safety protocols.
Fournier was acquired in a deal with the Orlando Magic before Thursday afternoon's NBA trade deadline, costing the Celtics two second-round draft picks and guard Jeff Teague. The 28-year-old veteran missed Saturday night's road game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
