Pollstar (04/02/21)
The state of California is allowing people to attend indoor concerts, theater performances and National Basketball Association games for the first time in over a year amid plunging coronavirus cases. State officials will not mandate testing or proof of vaccination for some events, but they do restrict attendee numbers, while events that require testing and vaccinations can have more paying customers. These performances are limited to California residents. "Allowing some of these activities and opportunities to vaccinated individuals is an incentive," said Dee Dee Myers with the Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development. "If they can return to some of their favorite activities because they're vaccinated then hopefully a few more people will go and get vaccinated." The new rules comply with California's tier system, in which sectors of the economy can reopen based on the extent of infection in each county. Most California counties are in the red tier (allowing venues of up to 1,500 people to run at 10% capacity and grow to 25% if all guests provide evidence of vaccination or a negative test), but major centers like San Francisco, Santa Clara County and Los Angeles County are in the less restrictive orange tier. California Music and Culture Association chairman Ben Bleiman said venues need full capacity to profit financially, but he expects members will accept the new rules with reservations.
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