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Utah Jazz and Vivint Arena will require COVID-19 vaccination or negative test to attend games, events

Masks will be required for event attendees under 12 who cannot be vaccinated

(Briana Scroggins | Special to The Tribune) Utah Jazz fans line up outside of Vivint Smart Home Arena before the Jazz play the Memphis Grizzlies in Salt Lake City on Wednesday, May 26, 2021.

  | Sep. 24, 2021, 5:25 p.m.
| Updated: 6:12 p.m.

The Jazz are cracking down on COVID at Vivint Arena for the 2021-22 NBA season.

On Friday, they announced their policy for the season: Jazz game attendees will have to show proof of full vaccination, a negative test taken within 72 hours, or be under 12 years old in order to attend.

Face masks will be required for those under 12 while in the venue, but they won’t be required for those over 12 — only strongly encouraged.

“As a community gathering place, we have a responsibility to protect our guests by putting health and safety standards in place,” Jim Olson, president of Vivint Arena and the Utah Jazz, said in a statement. “The delta variant is a threat to the sports and entertainment industry and our community at large. We ask Jazz fans to get vaccinated to help stop the surge. We stand united with health care professionals on the importance of vaccinations. We believe this is the path forward to shut down this pandemic.”

In order to be considered fully vaccinated, fans will have to show proof that 14 days have passed since their last vaccine shot — 14 days after the second shot if they received the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or 14 days after receiving one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

What constitutes proof of vaccination? A CDC-issued vaccination card including the name of the person vaccinated, the type of vaccination provided and the date that the last dose was administered, or a digital photo of the CDC-issued card stored on a phone or electronic device, or a printed photo of the same.

The team says it also will reveal a digital process for uploading proof of vaccination for easier entry.

The policy will be in effect at all Vivint Arena events for the foreseeable future. The next event at the arena is an NHL preseason game between the L.A. Kings and the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday, Sept. 30. A Michael Bublé concer takes place on Oct. 1, and the first Jazz preseason game is Oct. 11.

“I am happy the Utah Jazz are taking the safety of their fans, staff, and players seriously,” Dr. Leisha Nolen, the state’s new epidemiologist at the Utah Department of Health, said in a statement. “The use of vaccinations, testing, and masks are all parts of a layered approach we have encouraged throughout the state. We welcome efforts by businesses to operate their events in a safe manner during this time of high transmission of COVID-19.”