BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — Government has given Cricket West Indies (CWI) permission to operate Kensington Oval at full capacity for the second Test against England, starting here Wednesday.

The venue had been approved for use at 80 per cent capacity due to the ongoing npvel coronavirus pandemic, an increase from the 50 per cent which had been observed for the five-match Twenty20 International series against England in January.

In a further adjustment of policy, Party Stand patrons will no longer need to be tested in order to gain access, the only requirement being that of full vaccination.

Dominic Warne, CWI’s commercial and marketing director, said organisers welcomed the move by government authorities.

“We are very happy that there is the potential for more West Indies and travelling England fans to attend the [second] Test match at Kensington Oval.

“We were almost sold-out for the first two days before the decision by the Government of Barbados, which everyone welcomes,” he said.

COVID-19 infections here have steadily declined in recent weeks, leading to a relaxing of protocols, with the country already past the peak of the Omicron wave.

On Sunday, the country recorded 79 new cases to bring its overall total to 1,355. Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 57,102 cases and 326 deaths.

Under established protocols, only fully vaccinated fans will be allowed to purchase tickets for the game, the second of the three-match series.