New Orleans Saints lay down a marker, refuse to refund ticket holders who don't provide proof of vaccination or negative COVID test
As the current surge of COVID-19 continues to run rampant across the United States, the NFL is continuing its quest to find ways to keep fans safe while still supporting their teams.
Earlier this week, the Las Vegas Raiders announced that they will require all of their fans to be vaccinated to enter the stadium, and other NFL teams are taking notice.
Of late, other NFL teams have required fans to follow local city and state mandates, which include wearing masks inside suites, bathrooms and other indoor places around the stadium. The NFL is currently planning on continuing with the plan of having every stadium open at full capacity for the 2021 season, and to do that, some tough rules will have to be in place for the fans.
New Orleans Saints won't refund fans who don't show proof of vaccination
The New Orleans Saints announced this week that they will require fans to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination to attend games. Saints fans who haven't been vaccinated will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of game time.
This rule coincides with the City of New Orleans' current mandate that requires proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test for indoor venues. That would include the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which is within city limits.
The Saints then took their protocols to another level. New Orleans Saints fans who fail to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result will not be permitted to attend games. In fact, they also won't receive a refund for the ticket(s) they purchased and were unable to use.
The Saints hope this will encourage unvaccinated fans to get the shot. The state of Louisiana currently has one of the lowest vaccination rates in the United States and is experiencing a surge in positive cases, which caused the added mandates to be put in place.
In their efforts to get Saints fans and all of Louisiana vaccinated, the New Orleans Saints will also continue to prop up COVID-19 vaccination sites throughout the state and have drawings for free New Orleans Saints tickets for the upcoming season for vaccinated fans.
With the Raiders and Saints being the first two teams to require fans to be vaccinated and/or tested negative, which NFL teams will follow suit?