Boise State University announced that student attendees of the home football game at Albertsons Stadium will be required to provide proof of first dose vaccination or a negative COVID test result.
A press release on Sept. 17 at 4 p.m. stated: “Boise State was disappointed, after appeals by leadership in all of these areas for our fans to follow best practices, that there was poor compliance with campus public health measures at the last home football game…We now believe that additional steps are necessary for the health and safety of our community.”
The press release was signed by Boise State President Marlene Tromp, St. Luke Health Systems President and CEO Chris Roth and St. Alphonsus Health System President and CEO Odette Bolano.
The announcement comes just one day before the Oklahoma State game set for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 18.
The vaccine or negative test requirement is the largest change made to football operations. The vast majority of attendees at the UTEP game on Friday, Sept. 10 were unmasked, despite the university mask requirement applying to crowded outdoor spaces.
This announcement comes just days after Boise State announced that vaccination clinics will be stationed outside of Albertsons Stadium, along with a vaccine incentive and mask-wearing reward program for students and game day attendees.
Presumably, this means that students who are vaccinated outside of the stadium before Saturday’s game can enter immediately after their first dose, despite the fact that immunity offered by the vaccine will not yet be in effect.
Additionally, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare moved hospitals statewide to crisis standards of care this week due to an overwhelming surge of unvaccinated COVID patients in need of care.
Earlier this week, Boise Mayor Lauren McLean also announced a mask mandate for all city buildings and city-permitted events that are hosting 250 or more people.
According to the press release, the university anticipates expanding these guidelines to all ticket holders for the Oct. 2 game against Nevada Wolf Pack.
“We will continue to work together as we all move forward, both in community and in the face of the growing health crisis in Idaho,” the press release said.
Photo by Mackenzie Hudson | The Arbiter
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Uhh I get they may have good intentions, but does anyone else see the glaring problem with accepting negative tests for admission? If you encourage a large number of people to go to testing facilities to acquire a negative test result prior to an event don’t you think you are also herding them to places where they might come in contact with someone who is getting a test for an entirely different reason. Maybe there are other people there who don’t feel great. They might get that negative test sure but they might be contracting an illness while getting tested. I think they need to go with vaccinated only admission
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