Warriors will enforce San Francisco COVID vax mandate; Sharks issue their own requirement
San Francisco’s new mandate requiring proof of full vaccination at indoor events is slated to affect only one function in the next five weeks at Chase Center.
The next indoor event at the arena is a Sept. 15 concert by Tame Impala, the stage name of psych-rock artist Kevin Parker.
The mandate takes effect on Aug. 20 and applies to those age 12 and over at indoor events of 1,000 or more.
In a statement, the Golden State Warriors, who own and operate the Chase Center, said they will enforce the new mandate starting with the Tame Impala concert, adding that “subject to applicable medical and religious exemptions, proof of a negative COVID-19 test will no longer serve as an accepted health pass for fans to enter Chase Center.”
The organization also said it will issue further information regarding logistics for fans to show proof of vaccination leading up to Sept. 15 concert.
San Francisco is the first major American city to issue such a full vaccine requirement for large indoor events. Children under 12, who remain ineligible for the vaccine, are exempt from the mandate.
San Francisco, as of Aug. 4, had a rolling seven-day average of 247 new COVID-19 cases per day, according to data on the city’s Department of Health website. That’s up from a seven-day rolling average of 34 on July 4. Hospitalizations have also increased, although no COVID-related deaths have been reported this month.
“Today’s announcement is really about making sure that people feel a little bit safer in our city,” San Francisco Mayor London Breed said Thursday. “But more importantly, what we’re seeing now with his virus is very challenging, and a great concern to me, and I know many of you as well.”
Other indoor events at Chase Center scheduled for next month include the Gold Over America Tour, a gymnastics show headlined by Simone Biles on Sept. 28, and a Michael Bublé concert on Sept. 29.
The arena has several events slated for October. The NBA’s regular season is slated to begin Oct. 19 but the Warriors’ schedule for the 2021-2022 season has not been announced.
SHARKS: Sharks Sports & Entertainment on Thursday announced it has instituted a mandatory vaccination requirement for all full and part-time employees, including arena event staff for all SAP Center events. The mandate is also for Sharks and Barracuda coaches and support staff, but not players.
As of now, the Sharks require all ticket buyers for SAP Center events to self-attest to being fully vaccinated or be able to produce a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of their ticketed event.
“SSE continues to engage in further discussions related to potential additional safety measures at SAP Center events, in conjunction with local and state health directives,” the organization said in a statement.
Asked if Santa Clara County was considering instituting the same mandate as San Francisco, a county spokesperson wrote, “We always look at actions taken in neighboring jurisdictions and will review what San Francisco has implemented.”