Full vaccination to be required at certain venues

Mayor’s proposed mandate will need to be approved by the City Council on Tuesday

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo unveiled a new plan Wednesday to require proof of full vaccination against the coronavirus for events held at city-owned facilities, including the SAP Center, exerting more pressure on unvaccinated residents to get their shots.

Under Liccardo’s plan, attendees and staff of events with 50 or more people held at city facilities — such as the SAP Center, Convention Center and Center for Performing Arts -- will be required to show proof of full vaccination prior to entering. A negative COVID-19 test would not serve as a substitute for vaccination.

“In a time of rising infection rates, we need to look for every tool in the toolbox to protect the health and safety of our residents,” Liccardo said in a statement. “The most effective way to preserve a ‘new normal’ for our entire community is to get vaccinated.”

If approved by the majority of the San Jose City Council on Tuesday, the facilities would be given a grace period to comply with the new order, though Liccardo did not specify how long that grace period would last.

The mayor’s memo initially stated that the proposed mandate would be enacted as an urgency ordinance, meaning that it would take effect immediately upon approval, but he walked that back shortly after the memo’s release. A scheduled performance by the Guns N’ Roses at the SAP Center on Wednesday would not be affected if the mandate is passed.

Scott Emmert, spokesperson for the Sharks Sports & Entertainment, said in a statement Wednesday that the organization was “actively investigating options to facilitate the fulfillment of this urgency ordinance and will provide more details as they become available.”

In the wake of an alarming surge in COVID-19 cases fueled by the highly infectious delta variant, proof of vaccination is now becoming a ticket to engage in society in many ways.