On Thursday President Biden announced a six-part plan to combat COVID-19: vaccinate the unvaccinated, further protecting the unvaccinated, keeping schools safely open, increasing testing and requiring masking, protecting our economic recovery, improving care for those with COVID-19.
As part of the first prong of the plan, vaccinate the unvaccinated, President Biden is calling "on entertainment venues like sports arenas, large concert halls, and other venues where large groups of people gather to require that their patrons be vaccinated or show a negative test for entry."
With football season kicking off, baseball season in full swing and basketball season just around the corner Wisconsin Sports fans could be affected if venues like Lambeau Field, Fiserv Forum and American Family Field decide to implement vaccine or test requirements.
Football fans were packed in at Steny's on Thursday to watch opening night of the NFL season. Fans there said they were excited to be back out at the bar watching games with friends and if they get a chance to go to Lambeau to cheer on the packers this year, a vaccine or test requirement won't keep them from cheering on the green and gold.
"If that's the barrier to get into a game, and a game that is full of fans, then yeah I have no problem with it, I'm vaccinated," said Packers fan Christopher Holdway.
Fellow Packers fan Adam Hefel said at this point said it's expected to show proof of vaccination of negative COVID-19 test results.
"I think a lot of places have already started doing that, so it's more of an expectation to think about it in the back of your mind. So, at this point it's not really something that throws me off," Hefel said.
NFL stadiums in New Orleans, Seattle and Las Vegas have already put proof of vaccine or negative test result requirements in place.
Entertainment venues are also included in the president's recommendation. In Milwaukee, several entertainment venues already require proof of vaccination or a negative test result including Summerfest and the Pabst Theater Group.
"We've always been in the position to try to do what's best for not just our business, but the city around us," said Pabst Theater Group CEO Gary Witt.
So far, Witt said the process of having fans show proof before entering has had very few, if any, issues.
"People have been incredibly receptive. It's been very smooth at the door, it really hasn't taken that much longer for people to get in and people have been really supportive of it overall. They really want to see live events come back," Witt said.
