Florida Citrus Bowl kicks off in Orlando -- with safety measures in place

The first day of 2021 starts with the Florida Citrus Bowl, happening Friday in Orlando at Camping World Stadium.

New safety measures will be in place to make sure everyone stays safe - especially as the numbers of coronavirus cases in the state continue to rise.

Crowds will gather to cheer on the Auburn Tigers and the Northwestern Wildcats as they face off at the Citrus Bowl. 

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Besides the usual safety and security measures in place, the stadium is taking extra steps to ensure a healthy environment. 

Following CDC guidelines, face masks are mandatory and social distancing is marked for seating, concession lines, and restrooms. All transactions at the stadium are cashless and there is an option to order food and drinks from your phone for pickup. 

The stadium has also upgraded building systems to increase ventilation and installed UV lighting in HVAC units. 

The staff has undergone extra training for these events.

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"As you know, we’re the only stadium in North America that has three bowl games with the Cure Bowl coming back to us last Saturday," said Chief Venue Officer Allen Johnson. "The crew we have – they live for this kind of stuff. It’s a high pressure thin. We do bring in extra people. A lot of our staff is supplemented at this time."

Fans say it will be nice to see people in the stands for a live sporting event in Orlando again. 
 
"We’re just happy that we’re doing it!" 

Kickoff time for the Citrus Bowl is at 1 p.m. 

Tune in to FOX 35 Orlando for the latest Central Florida news.