[LOCKED?] OT: Saints, Tulane to Require Proof of Vaccination for Fans

Submitted by Dizzy on August 15th, 2021 at 5:24 PM

Per Sports Illustrated:

"The city of New Orleans is requiring fans to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative PCR test taken within 72 hours in order to attend games at the Caesars Superdome and Yulman Stadium."

https://www.si.com/nfl/2021/08/12/new-orleans-saints-tulane-require-fan…

 

Hadn't seen this on the board yet, but I thought it might be worth mentioning. I imagine other organizations will be considering this option in the coming days.

Curious what Michigan will do. For those willing to discuss, please be civil.

[edit @ 3:15pm: I'm keeping this thread on the board but this decision is subject to change at any time if the discussion goes too far off the rails.  Already several posts were removed by other mod(s) early today for violating MGoBoard guidelines and I have removed one post, edited another, and issued one warning-rob f]

[Edit @8pm: Locking this now, it's run it's course]

MGoBoard
#COVID-19

mgoblue0970

August 16th, 2021 at 12:45 PM ^

Not an apples to apples comparison.

Measles, Yellow Fever, Hepatitis, are FDA approved.

COVID vaxes are emergency approved.

That's why, by law, one cannot (but the they are doing it anyway) mandate emergency approved drugs but can mandate things like MMR to go to grade school.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 18648

MGoStretch

August 16th, 2021 at 4:55 PM ^

And as soon as the COVID vaccines are FDA approved, you’ll be totally on board with COVID vaccine requirements? You won’t just pivot to some other excuse or rationalization based on politics?  

I ask because I see this rationalization a lot (it’s not fda approved!!!!) but I have a sneaking suspicion that the vast majority of people who espouse that idea do not care whether it is approved or not and will remain steadfast in their opposition.

Joined: 03/20/2015

MGoPoints: 8641

blue in dc

August 15th, 2021 at 10:57 PM ^

Since many of the same people who won’t get vaccinated are also the most anti-mask, I am not sure that works particularly well.   What about restaurants where you can’t wear a mask while eating, can restaurant owners require vaccines to protect their workers and their other patrons? 

Joined: 01/22/2011

MGoPoints: 20401

kehnonymous

August 15th, 2021 at 6:07 PM ^

The problem is, no one - even the most informed epimediologists who've been plugged in from day one, to say nothing to YouTube quacks - really knows enough to make a definitively correct decision, for whatever version of correct suits you.  There are too many unknowns and variables at play here.

Gun to my head, I think you want to err on the side of caution here, especially in the face of the Delta surge that looks to get worse in the fall, the way the alpha variant did.  But I'm just a guy on the internet like everyone else.

What I suspect (and I'll cope to not knowing enough to be more than 60% confident of my stance) is that this is probably a bit of a stretch at Tulane's stadium, which is outdoors, but probably a reasonable idea at the Superdome, which is a domed stadium.  (Also when the hell did it become the Caesars Superdome??)  But the other aggravating factor here is that in addition to being a space with lots of people in close proximity, football fans tend to cheer loudly which is another increased risk factor - consider the church choir group a year ago that was a super-spreader even though everyone was masked and 6 ft apart. (What that means is that while I can see the logic here, Lions fans probably shouldn't need proof of vaccination to attend :P )

Joined: 11/25/2011

MGoPoints: 33223

IheartMichigan

August 16th, 2021 at 9:23 AM ^

We would have better control over this thing too if we

 

1) Banned all International Travel, no one in, no one out.

 

2) Secure our borders, no one in, no one out. 

 

Unfortunately it all became political, racist, whatever-phobic to do so. Hopefully, when the next variant arises outside of the USA, we do both of the above. 

Joined: 08/09/2019

MGoPoints: 1823

JimmyBeGood

August 15th, 2021 at 6:29 PM ^

UM Event Team Member here with  my two cents re Michigan Stadium. We had our football meeting last weekend and there was no mention of masks, vax status, negative tests regarding fans. My thought was anything they tell us might change in a day or two. What I can tell you is as part time U of M employees we have to show proof of vaccination before 8/30 in order to be scheduled for any games. 

Joined: 08/05/2019

MGoPoints: 1143

StephenRKass

August 15th, 2021 at 6:46 PM ^

I hope Michigan requires proof of vaccine to enter, with medically necessary exemptions. I don't want to debate:  I'm just telling you what I want to see done. But yeah, I definitely believe that's the best thing for society.

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 23105

bronxblue

August 15th, 2021 at 7:48 PM ^

I mean, most medical exemptions don't mean you can do whatever you want.  It's all about reasonable accomodations, which in this case would likely be a negative PCR test and wearing a mask.  Personally I'd at least wear a mask and try to keep my distance, but if it was medically impossible for me to get a vaccine is likely have such a precarious health situation I'd be unlikely to attend a game at this point.  

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 171991

StephenRKass

August 15th, 2021 at 11:45 PM ^

It depends on the situation. I think a significant number of medical exemptions wouldn't attend anyway. However, one study suggests that those allergic to components of the vaccine would be 1 in 100,000. In a worst case scenario, that would mean say 3 people attending a game who had medical exemptions? And that would mean that in Michigan stadium, you would herd immunity.

Addendum:  the numbers would be much worse because of the under 12 population. I strongly believe there will be an official FDA approval of the vaccine shortly, and that pediatric vaccinations are not far behind. When 9 out of 10 people are vaccinated, we are getting much closer to herd immunity, and we're all safer.

Joined: 07/15/2008

MGoPoints: 23105

Carpetbagger

August 16th, 2021 at 9:39 AM ^

In a way he or she is right. At some point and time in the future that will be true. Everyone will have had the Covid (nature's immunization) or gotten the vaccine.

It's that increased potential for hospitalization and death in certain demographic groups that would and did make me get the vaccine.

I'll take the .00001 vs the .1 or whatever the numbers actually are every day.

Joined: 12/31/2010

MGoPoints: 6682

Carpetbagger

August 16th, 2021 at 2:24 PM ^

Almost all hospitals operate near capacity all the time. The ones that don't usually go out of business. That's a meaningless statistic.

It's also meaningless for them to say they are short of nurses. Hospitals have been short of nurses for my entire 30 year career, with a couple short exceptions.

When these hospitals start deferring elective surgeries, that's when shit's getting serious. Some have, but not many yet. We're still only at half the hospitalizations as during last winter.

Joined: 12/31/2010

MGoPoints: 6682

Perkis-Size Me

August 15th, 2021 at 7:06 PM ^

I’m going to feel really bad for the ticket takers at the Saints games.

They’re about to get shit on and verbally abused, berated and harassed like hell from I don’t know how many unruly fans who still show up but refuse to be vaccinated or show proof of a negative test, babbling away about their personal freedoms, liberty and tyranny or some other nonsense. 

It’s an extreme measure, sure. But New Orleans in this position due in no small way to people who refuse to be vaccinated. So yeah, I feel absolutely zero sympathy for the anti vaxxers on this. 

Joined: 11/30/2011

MGoPoints: 106133

Carpetbagger

August 16th, 2021 at 9:47 AM ^

I'm vaccinated and waiting on seeing how full the stadiums are to consider whether to go. I don't go very often because I don't like the crowds and the traffic. If the stadium is half full because a bunch of people are scared to go, I'm in.

2 of the best vacations I've ever been on were in 2020. It's amazing how much better things are if you take away half the fellow tourists.

Joined: 12/31/2010

MGoPoints: 6682

bronxblue

August 15th, 2021 at 7:46 PM ^

This is a smart idea and while I'm sure people will find ways around it hopefully it increases safety measures even a bit, for everyone's sake.

I assume UM will try something similar, and we'll see if it sticks.

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 171991

mgoblue0970

August 15th, 2021 at 8:14 PM ^

Fantastic job OP.  We haven't had a spirited COVID debate in a while.

Thanks for posting!!!

Joined: 11/22/2008

MGoPoints: 18648

LabattBlue

August 15th, 2021 at 9:01 PM ^

In regards to Michigan or any other college it would seem likely that restrictions will be in place.

MSU president put out a campus guidelines email last month, and it was pretty obvious that on campus tailgating was not permitted as it exposed students/faculty to non guideline behaviors.

Mask requirements and eating and drinking sort of make their requirement questionable.

Proving vaccination for entry would seem likely.

At my work, at our last meeting I was pretty surprised at the of  "not vaccinated" responses, don't really care about the why or why not, but I'm not hanging around a certain portion of folks.

For me it's about 80+ parents, and two grandparents. 

 

Joined: 03/28/2015

MGoPoints: 721

TomJ

August 16th, 2021 at 10:14 AM ^

I teach at a university where vaccine mandates are banned, and we can't even ask students if they are vaccinated. I have therefore canceled field trips and lab sessions, and will be transitioning to more on-line teaching, something I really wanted to avoid. All of my students are paying the price to ensure the "freedom" of the selfish students who refuse to get vaccinated or wear masks. People who argue that getting vaxed is a "personal" decision are completely full of shit.

Joined: 03/21/2012

MGoPoints: 1437

Wendyk5

August 16th, 2021 at 1:02 PM ^

Completely agree. Our vaccination program, which we've all taken part in since birth, is a societal norm now. It's nothing new, and it's there to protect society. But somehow this vaccine has touched some sort of oppositional nerve that has nothing to do with its safety and efficacy and everything to do with not wanting the other side to be right. 

Joined: 11/20/2008

MGoPoints: 68349

The Purple Helmet

August 15th, 2021 at 9:49 PM ^

Things an anti-vaxxer probably wouldn't do because it's rude and these same things would piss him off if someone did it to them (but they ain't gonna git no vaxxeen cuz AMERRIKER and FREEDOM and it's gonna turn me (even) dumber!!

Smoke in a restaurant. 

Fart loudly in public.

They won't do either because it's rude, stinky, impolite, there's a sign on the door that says, "No Smoking"

But no shot, and no mask because some orange pig was agin' it and of course-.they're all now smarter than doctors, nurses and scientists, particularly Fauci, ho has only devoted his entire adult life to---saving lives.

Fuck anti vaxxers. Fuck 'em in the ear.

Joined: 08/07/2021

MGoPoints: 555

mooseman

August 15th, 2021 at 9:58 PM ^

There is iron in your words for all to see. No signed paper can hold the iron. It must come from men. It is good that purple helmeted warriors meet in the struggle of life...and death.

Edit: That's for you, Elno.

Joined: 07/10/2008

MGoPoints: 35656

Stanley Hudson

August 15th, 2021 at 11:19 PM ^

“but they ain't gonna git no vaxxeen cuz AMERRIKER and FREEDOM and it's gonna turn me (even) dumber!!”

Obviously, this is trash. You seem to be implying that vaccine hesitant people are uneducated southerners? I’m curious why that is the implication and would ask if you’ve seen vaccination rates by race, class, education level and gender. You will find a much more complicated picture. 
 

Just to qualify… I am vaccinated-  I just fucking detest this take. Cheers to a great board topic. 
 

 

Joined: 05/10/2020

MGoPoints: 1459

Carpetbagger

August 16th, 2021 at 9:56 AM ^

You can tell people who only get their information from MSM and don't question what they hear despite it not matching up with statistics.

Minorities, specifically Blacks and Latinos are less likely to be vaccinated than Whites. It's a fact.

But but but.... crazy southern redneck Trump voters!!! Live in Detroit?

My County in Tennessee, that didn't even have a mask mandate in schools last year, has a higher vaccination rate than Wayne County. By 10 points.

Vaccine hesitancy is mostly because people don't trust the government or the media. I wonder why that would be?

Joined: 12/31/2010

MGoPoints: 6682

blue in dc

August 16th, 2021 at 12:55 PM ^

While I don’t disagree with your point re vaccination rates for blacks vs whites:

1. There are only a handful of counties in Tennessee that have a higher vaccination rate than Wayne County (43%).

2. There are two large components of distrust of government and media.   While one of them is self inflicted screwups, another is a very intentional strategy by some in both politics and the media to further cultivate that distrust.   That happens to be coming from one specific party and the large media outfits that support them.

Joined: 01/22/2011

MGoPoints: 20401

Durham Blue

August 15th, 2021 at 11:33 PM ^

Georgia Tech football game 103 years ago during the Spanish Flu.  Not a single person without a mask.  They were not as fortunate to have a free vaccine to protect themselves.  The United States used to be a country where people sacrificed just a little for the common good.  These poor souls are probably rolling over in their graves watching the bullshit of today unfold.  But I am sure all those people were just "sheep".

Joined: 10/09/2008

MGoPoints: 30114

Wings Of Distinction

August 16th, 2021 at 1:10 AM ^

Great post. People did what they had to do and life moved on.

And if today, a given city or stadium (or Country), decides that to attend one must be masked and/or vaxxed, then people need to either deal with it and conform--for the good of all--- or don't attend.

Go Blue.

Joined: 10/25/2014

MGoPoints: 683