If you want to go to a Las Vegas Raiders home game, you have to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
On Tuesday, the team became the first in the National Football League to announce the requirement. Fans will have to show proof of inoculation before entering the stadium. If they are unvaccinated, they can get a shot on site and wear a mask for the duration of the game.
The policy, which begins on September 13th for the season opener, is designed to phase out mask wearing.
“Health and safety has always been our number one priority,” owner Mark Davis said in a statement. “After consultation with [Nevada] Governor Sisolak and other community leaders, this policy ensures that we will be able to operate at full capacity without masks for fully vaccinated fans for the entire season.”
CNN contextualizes the announcement:
The vaccine mandate is just the latest instance of the NFL using its massive influence to encourage Covid-19 vaccinations, which provide strong protection against infection and severe illness.
The league has granted broad freedoms to players who are vaccinated while requiring unvaccinated people to undergo onerous restrictions and constant testing. In addition, the NFL has said that outbreaks among unvaccinated players could lead to forfeits and hurt teams’ playoff hopes.
The incentives have worked. On Monday, the Atlanta Falcons became the first NFL team to have its entire roster vaccinated against Covid-19 — a perfect 100% vaccination rate, the team announced Monday.
It is unclear how children 12 and under, who are not yet eligible for the vaccine, can comply with the Raiders’ new rule. Statewide, the unvaccinated can attend events of 4,000 or more if they wear a mask.