US Open won't require spectators to wear masks or show proof of vaccination

[Roland99]

US Open won't require spectators to wear masks or show proof of vaccination
https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/32084875/us-open-require-spectators-wear-masks-show-proof-vaccination

Spectators will not be required to wear masks or show proof of their vaccination status to attend matches at the US Open when the tennis tournament returns at full capacity next week, one year after all fans were banned from the event because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The goal is not to prevent all cases of COVID. The goal, really, is to be certain that we don't have an outbreak of COVID that's going to be unusual or that we would regret," Dr. Brian Hainline, a U.S. Tennis Association first vice president and member of its medical advisory group, said on a conference call with reporters on Wednesday. "We're still relying on the goodwill of people. The unvaccinated -- although it's not going to be enforced -- they really should be wearing masks. I expect many vaccinated individuals are going to be wearing masks, as well."

The year's last Grand Slam tournament starts Monday in New York.

Ooof

[dhol82]

1. This is idiocy!

[Treefrog]

25. I agree.

But I guess they’re all “sophisticated, educated folks.”

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. Ah, tennis. Now I get it. I was thinking this was golf. NT

[niyad]

5. My first thought, as well.

[malaise]

3. No wonder so many top players won't be there

Good

[niyad]

4. That idiot is actually a licensed medical practitioner?? Which medical board do I call?

[Jilly_in_VA]

8. I want to know too

[dalton99a]

23. Brian William Hainline, MD holds medical licenses in Indiana and New York

[marie999]

6. "relying on the goodwill of people" Is he serious?

[LisaL]

17. Relying on the goodwill is why are

in the situation we are in now.

[Texaswitchy]

7. Stupid

Really stupid.

[PoliticAverse]

9. "returns at full capacity next week" - I wonder if the spectators will be. n/t

[LisaL]

18. Hacking and coughing.

NT

[Raftergirl]

10. I have had series tickets for the first 10 days since 1991

when center court was Louie.

I had them for years in Ashe until they started selling series tkts in Louie. My tkts in Ashe sucked and we hardly ever sat in our seats, except for the odd night match when all the matches on outside courts were done for the day.

I sold my seats this year to my cousin’s company. I was planning on going until they announced 100% capacity. That was even before formal announcement of no vax required and no masking.

[spanone]

11. Stupid ass decision

'the goodwill of people' ?

[bahboo]

12. dying to go back to the Open again...

but not gonna die by going this year. This is beyond stupid. Hope there is a shit ton of blowback, and they rethink it...

[Raftergirl]

13. Vaccination now required to attend Open

Under pressure from Mayor Bill de Blasio and other city leaders, the United States Tennis Association reversed its lax coronavirus protocols for the upcoming U.S. Open tournament, which opens to thousands of fans on Monday.

Originally, the tournament did not require any proof of vaccination or a recent negative coronavirus test for fans to enter, and there were no mask mandates, either. But the mayor’s office stepped in over the past two days and demanded stricter protocols.

On Friday evening, the tournament announced on its Twitter account that proof of at least one vaccine shot would now be required for entrance to the grounds for all fans age 12 and older. No masks are required.

The mayor’s office was adamant that fans entering Arthur Ashe Stadium, the largest venue on the grounds of the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, be vaccinated. But the U.S.T.A. took it a step further and made it a requirement for all fans entering the grounds of the tournament.

“Today, the U.S.T.A. was informed that the New York City mayor’s office will be mandating proof of Covid-19 vaccination for entrance to Arthur Ashe Stadium,” the statement said. “Given the continuing evolution of the Delta variant and in keeping with our intention to put the health and safety of our fans first, the U.S.T.A. will extend the mayor’s requirement to all U.S. Open ticket holders 12 years old and older.”

Mr. de Blasio was not the only concerned city official. After the tournament announced on Wednesday that no vaccines or masks would be required, Mark Levine, a City Council member from Manhattan, said he was “alarmed” that the U.S. Open could become a super spreader event, especially with so many visitors from around the world and the country visiting the tournament in Queens, and also going into Manhattan during their visits.

Levine was pleased by the reversal.

“I feel enormous relief,” he said, “and it’s just in the nick of time with crowds due to arrive on Monday.”

https://www.nytimes.com/live/2021/08/27/world/covid-delta-variant-vaccine/us-open-will-require-proof-of-vaccination-for-fans

[machoneman]

21. Good. This proves that the Boards of many sports orgs. are composed of old, rich, white Trumpers.

They didn't give a damn about the players, coaches, staff, attendees, instead all in favor of Trumpian politics. Fools!

[Ms. Toad]

22. Gee, that was fast evolution.

On Friday evening, the tournament announced on its Twitter account that proof of at least one vaccine shot would now be required for entrance to the grounds for all fans ages 12 and older. No masks are required.

. . .

“Today, the U.S.T.A. was informed that the New York City mayor’s office will be mandating proof of Covid-19 vaccination for entrance to Arthur Ashe Stadium,” the statement said. “Given the continuing evolution of the Delta variant and in keeping with our intention to put the health and safety of our fans first, the U.S.T.A. will extend the mayor’s requirement to all U.S. Open ticket holders 12 years old and older.”

You'd have thought they might have looked at the surge that (after end-of-week adjustments) will have almost certainly hit over 200,000 cases on Friday for the first time since January 16. (Friday is at 190,370 - and typically late reporting by jurisdictions has been bumping up Friday's numbers by 10-20,000 cases by the time Monday rolls around.)

[Iggo]

15. No, the goal is to collect money from rich people.

Fuck you, Dr. Brian Hainline.

[LisaL]

16. How about the goal of leaving some room in the hospital

for patients are not infected with covid?

[Stuart G]

19. Stupid is always..."STUPID"... The people who run the open are ....VERY VERY STUPID...

No one should attend, that will show them who is the ..."boss"
........I guess tennis bosses know more than the rest of us......Stupid is still ..."STUPID".

[beaglelover]

20. They reversed this.

https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/32097826/fans-need-proof-vaccination-attend-us-open

NEW YORK -- US Open spectators now must show proof of at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to attend matches, a change made less than 72 hours before the tennis tournament starts.

The US Tennis Association announced Friday that the New York City mayor's office decided to require proof of vaccination to go into Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main arena at the National Tennis Center.

The USTA then opted to extend that rule to cover all ticket holders who are 12 and older and enter the grounds during the two-week Grand Slam tournament that begins Monday. The event is returning to 100% capacity after all fans were banned from attending a year ago because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A CDC vaccination card -- or a photo or photocopy -- is among the acceptable ways of proving vaccination.

[Treefrog]

26. Yeah, they have to show proof of ONE shot.

Hats not fully vaxxed, but at least it’s something!

[leftyladyfrommo]

24. I am too exhausted to even care. nt