Ann Killion: After tough restrictions last season, Santa Clara County now won’t require proof of vaccination at 49ers games.
Just 10 months ago, the 49ers were hunkered down in Arizona, having fled their home county to avoid some of the strictest COVID protocols in the nation.
It was part of a very weird season that the 49ers hope to put behind them.
But, as the new NFL season dawns, it seems increasingly odd that trailblazing Santa Clara County, which didn’t allow the 49ers even to practice last winter, isn’t more concerned about the prospect of jamming 68,000-plus fans into Levi’s Stadium without requiring proof of vaccination.
You can’t blame people if they’re confused
about what is required and what isn’t these days. Yes, proof of vaccination is being required at most outdoor music festivals. No, proof of vaccination is not being required at massive outdoor sporting events. Unless you go to an indoor space at a venue and then it is.
The 49ers’ first home game isn’t until Week 3, on Sept. 26. So, things could change by then, especially with the ongoing fourth surge because of the delta variant. New protocols go into effect in the state of California on Sept. 20, but for the moment, the language requires proof of vaccination only indoors and “strongly recommends” proof for outdoor “megaevents” — which are described as 10,000 or more people.
For the moment, the 49ers and their home county are lagging behind instead of leading the way. Only three NFL teams are requiring either proof of vaccination or a recent negative COVID test from fans before entry: Las Vegas, New Orleans and Seattle. The first two teams have indoor stadiums. This week, the Seahawks announced their new policy, falling in line with other Washington state sports teams and becoming the first outdoor NFL venue to require such a safety measure.
For their part, the 49ers — who had zero home fans last year and only five home games before relocating to Arizona — aren’t going to make it any more difficult for fans to attend without being told they have to do it.
“The 49ers are following all mandates from local and state public health officials and are working closely with a committee of public health experts to ensure the reopening of Levi’s Stadium is done responsibly,” the team said in a statement this week. “We strongly encourage all eligible populations in the wider community to get vaccinated and this is why we hosted the largest vaccination site in the state at Levi’s Stadium earlier this year.”
But it is up to Santa Clara County (or the state) to make a requirement, as opposed to a recommendation. In March 2020, the county’s public health director, Dr. Sara Cody, ordered the nation’s first shelter-in-place mandate. So, now that vaccines are available, you wouldn’t think she’d be shy about requiring them.
But, at least for the moment, the county isn’t doing that. In response to requests for clarification, the county issued a statement that included this: “Our expectation is teams in Santa Clara County will implement all the recommendations and guidelines to create a safer environment for their guests and employees.”
The county also said it recommended proof of vaccination according to CDPH guidelines, “given the prevalence of the highly contagious Delta variant.” The county added “the importance of masking in crowded setting must be emphasized.”
But recommendations and emphasis are different than requirements.
Judging from feedback I’ve received from fans, requiring proof of vaccination would be a popular move. Though the 49ers’ two preseason games were not sold out, they still drew thousands of fans, and I heard complaints that the concourses were overly crowded and that neither masking nor distancing was wellenforced. Unlike last year, fans do not have the option of skipping games and holding onto their season tickets, even if they don’t feel comfortable with the current protocols.
Requiring proof of vaccination would not be difficult. People increasingly are becoming accustomed to showing either their vaccination card or, at least in California, a downloaded QR code on their phone to show proof of vaccination (get it — it’s easy!). Not only at airports and indoor venues like restaurants and bars but at outdoor locations, as well.
At BottleRock in Napa, which drew huge crowds over three days, such proof was required. It will be required at upcoming Outside Lands. It is required at venues of differing sizes like the Greek Theatre in Berkeley (8,500) and Napa’s Oxbow RiverStage (4,000).
So why not Levi’s? The Giants and A’s also are not requiring proof of vaccination, and it was a strange feeling last weekend in packed Oracle Park when the Dodgers were in town. The enclosed concourses were shoulder to shoulder with people, only about 50% wearing masks. I heard from several people in attendance that they did not feel truly comfortable. Not side-byside with strangers who are eating and drinking and yelling and who might not be vaccinated.
Everyone wants everything back to normal. But until proof of vaccination is required at all large events, people are not going to feel comfortable getting back to some sort of normal.
Santa Clara County, which led the way last year, should know that as well any entity.