The push around the state of Pennsylvania, and the country, is on to encourage people to get vaccinated for COVID-19. The disease that decimated the entire sports calendar in 2020 continues to be fought with a ramped-up vaccine effort, and Penn State head coach James Franklin had the opportunity to speak out and encourage people to seek out a vaccine.
During a visit from Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf in Happy Valley on Wednesday, Franklin and tight end Theo Johnson made their voices heard in support of being vaccinated.
Today I’m at @penn_state with @coachjfranklin, student athlete @theo_Johnson_, and PSU President Eric Barron.
We're here to encourage college students to get vaccinated before summer break and help stop #COVID19 in PA and beyond.#WeAre ✊ #GotMyShotPA 💉 pic.twitter.com/2uUwSZaY79
— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) May 5, 2021
A year after having no fans in Beaver Stadium for football games, Franklin is looking ahead to the first scheduled home game with the hope of seeing as many people as possible come into the stadium.
“We want our Ball State game on September 11 to be our first family reunion in almost two years and we want Beaver Stadium and all of Happy Valley rocking,” Franklin said, according to StateCollege.com. “This is not just about Penn State football. This is about the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We know how important it is for our community and fans to have our college football and professional teams in all sports return to full capacity.”
The lack of football fans in college towns across the country took a toll not just on universities, but the local economy as well. Small businesses that anticipate football Saturday crowds to turn a profit were among the many devasted by the impact of the pandemic last year.
Things do seem to be trending in a positive direction in Pennsylvania. Wolf announced earlier this week that outdoor capacity restrictions will be lifted effective May 31, and a statewide order to wear masks in public will be lifted once the state has hit the 70% vaccination benchmark for Pennsylvanians 18 years or older. Overall, the state is trending toward hitting that benchmark, as it sat at 50.9% for at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
Pennsylvania’s daily vaccine update:
National ranking in first doses administered: 10
50.9% of PA’ians have received at least one dose
33.7% of PA’ians fully vaccinated
8,840,842 vaccines administered— Governor Tom Wolf (@GovernorTomWolf) May 5, 2021
Outdoor events like Major League Baseball games in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have already welcomed back fans, and stadium capacities have been adjusted to allow more fans since initially opening up. With the way things are going, Penn State will absolutely be able to welcome fans in Beaver Stadium this fall. The biggest question is just how many will be allowed entry through the Beaver Stadium gates by the time the season kicks off.
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