The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
The Marion County Public Health Department has approved a plan allowing up to 12,500 fans to attend the next home game of the Indianapolis Colts.
Indy (2-1) has played all of three of its games in front of small crowds. The Colts host the Cincinnati Bengals on Oct. 18.
After a season-opening loss at Jacksonville, county officials permitted up to 2,500 fans to attend Indy’s home opener against Minnesota and up to 7,500 last weekend against the New York Jets. The Colts won both games at Lucas Oil Stadium, which has a capacity of 63,000.
Single-game tickets go on sale Friday and will be sold in pods to maintain social distancing between groups. The team said in a statement that season-ticket holders will have priority. The team also must fulfill ticket requests for players and coaches from both teams, NFL officials, and broadcast partners of the league.
The MLS game between the Colorado Rapids and Portland Timbers on Saturday was postponed until Nov. 4 because of COVID-19.
Two additional Colorado players and one additional staff member have confirmed cases, the league said Thursday. MLS cited the “health and safety of all players and staff” in making the decision.
Following the first confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 on Sept. 24, the Rapids closed their training facility and have not trained since. All players and staff with confirmed cases of COVID-19 have entered self-isolation.
Players and staff who have continued to receive negative results have remained in quarantine while following MLS safety protocols.
Appalachian State has postponed next week’s football game against Louisiana-Lafayette due to positive COVID-19 tests and contact tracing.
The school announced the move Thursday, six days before the teams were set to meet in Sun Belt Conference play in Boone, North Carolina. The game will be rescheduled for either Dec. 4 or 5.
The school said “all active cases” are recovering in isolation, while close contacts identified through contact tracing must quarantine.
Appalachian State is scheduled to play again Oct. 14 at Georgia State in the second of two straight Wednesday games. That game is unaffected as of now.
In a statement, Appalachian State athletics director Doug Gillins says the health and safety of athletes and university community members must take priority, adding: “While we share in the disappointment of everyone who has worked hard to prepare for this football game, we have known there will be challenges to maintaining the athletics calendar.”
The Italian league soccer match between Genoa and Torino on Saturday has been postponed because 15 players and staff at Genoa tested positive for the coronavirus.
Local health authorities in Genoa have banned the team from training.
The league did not immediately set a new date for the game.
Genoa already had last weekend’s game at Napoli postponed for several hours while players awaited test results.
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Regulators authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation for altering an email that the Justice Department relied on during its surveillance of an aide to President Donald Trump during the Russia investigation.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers lashed out Friday at rival Republicans who tried to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be a ridiculous move comparable to abolishing speed limits.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — As some conservatives in South Carolina celebrated getting a bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state past a legislative barrier and likely becoming law, they said they are not finished trying to end all abortions.
A Moscow court on Friday put the brother and several allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for two months as authorities sought to stymie more protests over the jailing of the top Kremlin foe.