If you planned on attending a concert or game at Chase Center or SAP Center this fall, you probably were planning on bringing proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result with you.
Get ready to do so across the state.
Starting next month, Californians must provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19, or a negative test from the previous 72 hours, to enter an indoor venue with at least 1,000 people.
The California Department of Public Health announced the changes on Wednesday afternoon, lowering the threshold from 5,000 people amid the delta variant's continued spread throughout the state.
"The (delta) variant has proven to be highly transmissible, making it easier to spread in large crowds where people are near each other for long periods of time," Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, Director of the California Department of Public Health, said in a statement Wednesday. "By requiring individuals to be vaccinated, or test negative for COVID-19 at large events, we are decreasing the risk of infection, hospitalization and death."
Beginning Sept. 20, event attendees will also no longer be able to self-attest they have been vaccinated or tested negative for the coronavirus. Instead, they must provide a physical or digital record of their vaccination status or test results using the methods deemed acceptable by the state's public health department.
The changes are recommended, but not required, for outdoor events of at least 10,000 people. The state said the new rules will remain in place through Nov. 1.
California's updated guidance brings the state closer in line with implemented and proposed ordinances across the Bay Area, which have often gone further than the state rules and recommendations.
San Francisco, for instance, announced last week it would require attendees at indoor events with at least 1,000 people to show proof they're fully vaccinated against COVID-19, provided they're eligible to receive one of the three coronavirus vaccines authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency use.
The San Jose City Council will vote next Tuesday on Mayor Sam Liccardo's proposal to require all attendees and staff to provide proof of vaccination at events of at least 50 people in city-owned facilities. Those facilities include SAP Center, the Convention Center and Center for the Performing Arts.
Nearly 65% of state residents aged 12 or older were fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as of Tuesday, according to data released by the public health department. All but one of the Bay Area's nine counties (Solano, 59%) have surpassed that rate, according to data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Related
