CINCINNATI - APRIL 12: Great American Ball Park stadium on April 12, 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is is a baseball stadium located in Cincinnati, Ohio and the home field of the Cincinnati Reds of MLB
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With the MLB regular season returning on April 1, many fans may be wondering what a day at the ballpark will be like this season. The Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC), a Division of ISSA, announced that American Family Field, home to the Milwaukee Brewers; Great American Ball Park, home to the Cincinnati Reds; and T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners, have achieved GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation.

Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida, home to the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals during spring training, has also achieved the accreditation. 

“GBAC is proud to be working closely with many MLB stadiums so their teams know how to prepare, respond, and recover from infectious disease risks,” said GBAC Executive Director Patricia Olinger. “Spectators, players, and employees can rest assured that accredited facilities prioritize cleanliness at every opportunity to enable safer sports.”

The three MLB stadiums join Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, in completing the performance-based program, with four other stadiums currently in the process of accreditation. Accredited facilities follow GBAC STAR’s strict 20-step program, which includes the proper cleaning protocols, disinfection techniques, and best practices to combat biohazards and infectious diseases, such as the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes COVID-19.

Target Center in Minneapolis and Phoenix Suns Arena in Phoenix, both with seating capacity for nearly 20,000 attendees, also join the list of newly accredited stadiums and arenas. Additionally, GBAC STAR welcomes another airport to its growing list, Portland International Airport, among other facilities this week.