Live events should require attendees proof of vaccination

With restrictions being lifted in the majority of British Columbia, people are looking forward to doing more activities, including attending live events. However, depending on their choices about getting vaccinated, it is possible that not everyone will be able to attend.

As the start of the 2021-2022 season of the National Hockey League gets closer, the Vancouver Canucks are “exploring the possibility” of requiring proof of vaccinations for COVID-19 in order to attend home games at Rogers Arena. 

The news comes after the Winnipeg Jets announced plans to open up their full seating capacity for home games. Fans will be required to show proof of vaccination and masks must be worn at all times.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, B.C.’s provincial health officer, has also left the option open for something like a vaccine passport being necessary to attend events like Canucks’ home games. Provincial health officials as a whole have also implied there may be additional measures to protect folks,  for those who opt-out of vaccination against COVID-19.

Venues should require some form of vaccination proof to attend live events. 

While most people at least 12-years-old and above in the province have been vaccinated to some extent, there are still plenty of people at risk of being infected. This is important to note as B.C. is currently in a fourth wave of the virus, led by the Delta variant. 

Vaccine doses are now open to people who are 12-years-old and above. However, there are still younger children who have yet to receive even one dose. This is particularly concerning as the delta variant is targeting young people in the United States. 

There are also immunocompromised people to consider as well who are at a higher risk. 

B.C. health officials are trying to make it easier for everyone to access their vaccination records by storing a digital copy in the provincial database that can be accessed by a patient, their doctor, and public health. 

Overall, I wouldn’t mind carrying some sort of evidence of me already receiving the vaccine in order to do activities that I missed out on for several months. I’m looking forward to activities that I’ve always wanted to do, including watching my favorite hockey team play for the NHL’s Stanley Cup live. 

Considering there are a lot of people who are willing to follow safety guidelines and get vaccinated, it doesn’t seem fair for those people to be held back by others who choose not to do the same, especially when they are the ones who consist of nearly all cases of COVID-19 in the province.