People attending indoor mega events in California will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test before entering, the state’s health department said Wednesday.
The updated COVID-19 safety guidance, which starts Sept. 20, requires proof of vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours of an indoor event with more than 1,000 people in attendance. The health department’s guidance previously required people to “self-attest” to a vaccination or negative test instead of showing proof.
California COVID-19 Vaccinations
The map tracks the number of doses administered by a recipient's county of residence according to the The California Department of Public Health.
Source: The statewide totals for doses administered reflect Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. Otherwise we used data from the California Department of Public Health.
Amy O’Kruk/NBC
The previous guidance also applied only to events with 5,000 people or more, not the lower threshold of 1,000.
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“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,” said Dr. Tomás J. Aragón, CDPH Director and State Public Health Officer. “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.”
The changes will remain in effect until at least Nov. 1.
The state order follows additional mega event requirements included in LA County’s updated health order announced Monday. The state’s most populous county had already required mask use at most indoor public spaces, regardless of vaccination status. The updated health order expands that requirement to mega events held outdoors, like large festivals and concerts, unless eating or drinking.
The county’s health order defines mega events as those with an attendance of 10,000 or more outdoors and 5,000 or more indoors. The updated order will become effective at 11:59 p.m. Thursday and includes music and food festivals, concerts at the Hollywood Bowl and elsewhere, and sporting events, such as games at Dodger and SoFi stadiums, LAFC games at Banc of California Stadium and LA Galaxy Games at Dignity Health Sports Park.
As of Wednesday, California has 4,057,724 confirmed COVID cases. There were 14,317 newly reported confirmed cases Tuesday.
Cases are increasing statewide, largely among unvaccinated people, state health officials said. The average case rate among unvaccinated Californians was 51 per 100,000 per day for the week of Aug. 9-15, the health department said.
The case rate among vaccinated residents during that same people was a much lower 7.6 per 100,000 per day.
As of August 18, 78.6% of eligible Californians have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, the health department said.
