San Jose Sharks fans will need to be vaccinated to attend home games

San Jose Sharks fans will need to show proof of vaccination in order to enter games at the SAP Center this season.

The same goes for people attending concerts — or other events — at the venue as of Sept. 20. The first event to be impacted will be Gold Over America Tour Starring Simone Biles, which is an Olympic gymnastics exhibition set for Sept. 26.

Guests under the age of 12 will not be subject to the new policy, which Sharks officials say “will remain in place until state and local health and safety guidance is revised.”

The rule is in conjunction with the new health and safety directive from the San Jose City Council, which impacts events being held at city-owned venues with more than 50 attendees. The mandate was announced by the City of San Jose Aug. 18 and then approved on Aug. 24.

Along with SAP Center, the new policy will also be in effect at the three other public facilities operated by the Sharks Sports & Entertainment (SSE) — Sharks Ice at San Jose, Sharks Ice at Fremont and the Oakland Ice Center.

The new protocol will not be in place for the events held prior to Sept. 20 — Monster Jam (Sept. 3-5), Maluma (Sept. 9), Los Angeles Azules (Sept. 10) and Bellator (Sept. 18). Yet, fans attending those events will still need to “comply with the requirements outlined by the State of California’s Blueprint for a Safer Economy,” which calls for attendees to produce proof of full vaccination or negative COVID test within 72 hours of event time, according to a news release.