Vaccine Mandate on Mega Events Officially Ends in California

Effective Friday, proof of COVID vaccination and testing to attend mega events is no longer required across the state.

That means lines to get into Sharks games or concerts at SAP Center in San Jose will move a little quicker because fans won’t have to dig out their vaccine card or a negative COVID test.

The vaccination and testing requirement has been scaled back to a recommendation for indoor events with 1,000 or more attendees and outdoor events with 10,000 or more in attendance.

SAP Center will keep in place many of its safety protocols, including contactless purchases, sanitizing stations and bringing in outside air.

For Sharks games, which have seen a lot of empty seats this season, it’s a chance to possibly sell out some of their remaining regular season home games.

After two years of changing guidelines, Sharks president Jonathan Becher is happy the rules are now more consistent.

“Do I need a vax? Do I need a booster? How do I do that? Mass confusion,” Becher said, describing fan confusion during pandemic restrictions. “And in the end, fans said it’s just too much trouble. I’m not going to go.”

Under state guidelines, businesses and individual event promoters still may have tighter restrictions, so attendees should check venue rules ahead of any event.

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