Vermont entertainment venues are starting to require patrons have the COVID booster shot – Burlington Free Press
Entertainment venues in Vermont are starting to require proof of COVID-19 booster vaccines for admission into events.
ArtsRiot in Burlington and the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury are among the first to mandate booster shots in addition to the initial one-or two-dose COVID-19 vaccines. With rising case counts spurred in part by the omicron variant of the virus, places where crowds gather and mingle are getting more strict with their rules for getting in.
“We will be requiring BOOSTER vaccines in addition to the standard vaccine(s) beginning Friday, January 21st for all events moving forward, unless otherwise noted,” ArtsRiot posted Jan. 3 on social media. “We thank you for your cooperation, and may we continue to fight the good fight!”
ArtsRiot, the food, drink and entertainment space on Pine Street in Burlington, plans to reopen Jan. 6 after shutting down due to a positive case of COVID-19 among its staff, according to the venue’s website. ArtsRiot requires that patrons wear masks and does not accept negative COVID-19 test results in place of vaccinations.
The Town Hall Theater posted Jan. 4 on social media that it is requiring the booster vaccine for admission in most instances.
“Full vaccination means double dose vaccines and proof of booster/third dose if greater than 6 months from second dose,” according to the Middlebury venue’s social-media posts. “For single-dose vaccines, we require proof of vaccine and booster if greater than two months from the initial single dose. Additionally, masks must be worn by all patrons (age 2 up) during all events.”
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The Town Hall Theater’s next event, a screening of the nature documentary “From the Wild Sea,” is scheduled for Jan. 16. The theater accepts negative COVID-19 PCR test results from within 72 hours of performance times in lieu of vaccination.
The Burlington area’s most prominent arts spaces, the Flynn performing arts center and the Higher Ground music venue, have not announced booster requirements. Both require proof of COVID-19 vaccines for admission.
Higher Ground reopens after a holiday break on Jan. 15. The Flynn’s next performance, by the gospel group Trey McLaughlin and the Sounds of Zamar, is set for Jan. 20.
Contact Brent Hallenbeck at bhallenbeck@freepressmedia.com. Follow Brent on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BrentHallenbeck.
