The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
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The governor of New Jersey has cleared the way for the Giants and Jets to play games at MetLife Stadium at full capacity for the 2021 NFL season.
Gov. Phil Murphy on Monday said New Jersey will lift its indoor mask mandate for people vaccinated against COVID-19 beginning on Friday. Also on Friday, the state is lifting the requirement for maintaining 6 feet of social distance at all indoor and outdoor businesses, such as restaurants, retail stores, gyms, casinos, and stadiums.
The announcement comes about a week after the Democratic governor rejected similar mask guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, saying he wanted “more time on the clock” for people to get vaccinated. New Jersey had been an outlier, with neighboring Delaware, New York and Pennsylvania aligning with the CDC soon after its advice came out.
The state’s vaccination rates have been climbing, with Murphy pledging to fully inoculate 70% of the population by June 30.
The Jets and Giants are co-owners of the stadium, which seats roughly 80,000.
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Carolina Panthers president Tom Glick announced Monday that Bank of America Stadium will open at full capacity for all events this year, including NFL and college games.
The Panthers had extremely limited seating last year due to COVID-19.
Glick said masks will not be required for fans and there will be no proof of vaccination required to attend games. He also said there will be no temperature checks. The stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, will continue to have enhanced cleaning, which includes the use of disinfecting robots.
The Panthers also announced they plan to host training camp at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina after a one-hiatus due to the coronavirus.
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The Winston-Salem Open men’s tennis tournament will be back in August with full spectator capacity and full prize money after the 2020 edition was canceled because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The hard-court tournament announced Monday it will be played Aug. 21-28, in its usual spot on the ATP calendar right before the U.S. Open.
The total Winston-Salem Open prize money this year will be $717,955, with $96,505 going to the singles champion. The plan is to have 3,500 seats for fans.
It is an ATP World Tour 250 event with a 48-player draw in singles and 16 doubles teams.
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The University of Maryland will allow full seating capacity for the 2021-22 season at home games for its sports teams now that coronavirus restrictions have been lifted locally.
The new university guidelines Monday still require everyone over age 5 — including those fully vaccinated — to wear a face mask at indoor arenas and at what the school calls “crowded outdoor venues.”
The Big Ten school’s football team will play seven of its 12 games on campus for the first time in a decade. The 2021 opener is Sept. 4 against nonconference opponent West Virginia.
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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/hub/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports