U.S. Open COVID protocols changed: Fans need vaccination proof

NEW YORK — U.S. Open spectators present indispensable amusement impervious of astatine slightest 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to be matches, a alteration made little than 72 hours earlier the tennis tourney starts.

The U.S. Tennis Association announced Friday that the New York City mayor’s bureau decided to necessitate impervious of vaccination to spell into Arthur Ashe Stadium, the main arena astatine the National Tennis Center.

The USTA past opted to widen that regularisation to screen each ticket-holders who are 12 and older and participate the grounds during the two-week Grand Slam tourney that begins Monday. The lawsuit is returning to 100% capableness aft each fans were banned from attending a twelvemonth agone due to the fact that of the coronavirus pandemic.

A CDC vaccination paper — oregon a photograph oregon photocopy — are among the acceptable ways of proving vaccination.

Earlier successful the week, the USTA said spectators would not beryllium required to deterioration masks oregon amusement impervious of their vaccination presumption to be matches astatine the U.S. Open.

“The extremity is not to forestall each cases of COVID. The goal, really, is to beryllium definite that we don’t person an outbreak of COVID that’s going to beryllium antithetic oregon that we would regret,” Dr. Brian Hainline, a USTA archetypal vice president and subordinate of its aesculapian advisory group, said connected a league telephone with reporters connected Wednesday.

Fueled by the highly contagious delta variant of the virus, caller reported cases of COVID-19 successful the U.S. person topped 150,000 a day, the highest level since precocious January.