Lines begin to form outside the Hodges gate at Citi Field before 8:00 on Friday. Reporters and photographers with access to the ballpark – limited to 35 as part of the MLB-19 COVID protocol – were welcomed by a Mets employee who explained the entry procedures.
First, there will be a standard bag check. But then a new bend arises: a quick temperature scan, followed by a neglect that needs to be signed releasing the Mets from responsibility if you are infected by the corona virus in that place. A mask is required to enter. Mets provide extras if needed.
Overall, it ran smoothly, with the entire line processed within about 10 minutes of opening the gate. But with elevators limited to the capacity of one person as part of the protocol, journalists and photographers are encouraged to use the stairs.
Mets executive Omar Minaya watched the practice on Friday.N.Y. Post: Charles Wenzelberg
Reporters were locked up in the press box, with photographers allowed to take pictures from the lower stands. Another change: toilets in the press box are limited to one person at a time. To ensure there was no confusion, Mets media relations officials distributed magnets with pictures of players placed at the door of the washroom when someone entered. The magnet is released when someone leaves the toilet.
Players and managers are conducting interviews at Zoom. Besides the technical difficulties that delayed Edwin Diaz’s press conference by a few minutes, the process went smoothly.
