INTERNATIONAL: With a month to go before Super Bowl LVI kicks off in Los Angeles, NFL officials said on Thursday the game will be played before a full house at SoFi Stadium despite a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Fan who attend the game at the new 70,240-seat venue in Inglewood on Feb. 13 will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative test and wear masks when not eating or drinking, but no capacity limit will be set.

Katie Keenan, the NFL's senior director of event operations said:

"We hosted the Super Bowl last year in Tampa to limited capacity, so to cap off this amazing season, with a full-capacity Super Bowl here at this unbelievable stadium, we couldn't be more excited,"

Keenan shot down rumors that the game might be moved elsewhere in light of the spread of the highly-contagious Omicron variant.

"It's just gonna be a white glove experience from start to finish, right. I mean we take real, we focus on what the fan experience is, we make sure people can get in an out quickly and safely, of course, you know a lot of safety procedures that are in place but we will be under the L.A. County regulations, you know, in how that relates to Covid so people need to show their vaccination cards or have proof of a negative test when they arrive here at the game, really important, we are under a mask mandate so we'll ask fans to wear masks in the stadium, you know, while not actively eating or drinking but, you know, at the end of the day it's a party and it will be an amazing day and an amazing facility."

The game will follow LA County COVID-19 regulations so fans in attendance can focus on enjoying themselves.

Los Angeles Rams COO Kevin Demoff said that while the Super Bowl will not mark the end of the pandemic, it will be part of the city's journey out of it: "Well I think it's so important for our city to start that journey back and, you know, for a long time we talked about this maybe being the first post-pandemic big event. Well, I'm not sure that, that may not hold true anymore as we fight this latest variant, but truly this is about getting people back to travel, making people feel safe, how we enjoy great events, great sporting events in a safe manner, being vaccinated, you know having negative tests, wearing masks, and can Los Angeles do it? We have such an amazing advantage of being outdoors in Los Angeles, in February, being able to plan those events across the city, you know truly in a safe manner, will bring people to SoFi Stadium."

And since it is Hollywood, the stars of entertainment will be out in full force, starting with a halftime show that will feature LA rappers Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar, as well as Eminem and R&B singer Mary J. Blige.

^{PHOTO: SOFI STADIUM, SITE OF UPCOMING SUPER BOWL 56. SOUNDBITES FROM NFL AND LOCAL OFFICIALS}