Boise to require vaccinations or negative tests at many events. Here are the details
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean announced new COVID-19 restrictions Tuesday for events permitted by the city, some of which will have to require proof of vaccines or negative tests from attendees.
In a meeting with reporters, McLean detailed the new restrictions, which apply to all events that receive permits from the city or are held at city facilities effective this Friday, Sept. 17.
Events permitted for fewer than 250 people: Attendees must wear masks indoors, as well as outdoors if social distancing can’t be maintained. Masks must be provided and “COVID-19 protocol ambassadors” must be stationed at the event. All pandemic-related plans, for measures such as crowd flow and preventing close quarters, must be submitted to the city beforehand.
Events with 250 people or more: Organizers must require proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test upon entry, and will require masks indoors and outdoors if social distancing is not permitted. Large events must also have ambassadors on site and sanitation stations throughout the area. Event organizers also must submit a low-traffic flow plan to the city beforehand.
The ambassadors will be event staff tasked with enforcing COVID-19-related restrictions during the course of an event, a city spokesperson said. McLean said events that break the rules run the risk of not receiving city permits in the future.
McLean lauded Boise’s current vaccination rate, which the city says is around 65%, but said rates in surrounding communities remain too low and that more Idahoans in every part of the state need to get the shot.
“If we have to, we’ll take additional steps, just like we have since March of 2020,” she said.
What events qualify?
The rule change will not apply to Boise State football — which is expected to host about 36,000 people for Saturday’s game against Oklahoma State — since the city does not provide permits for its games. Boise State does require masks inside Albertsons Stadium, although many people at Friday’s game against UTEP appeared to disregard the rule.
The announcement comes just days after some of the area’s biggest events took place. Boise Pride held a three-day event, for which vaccinations or negatives tests were required. Art in the Park had asked those in attendance to wear masks.
One of the larger upcoming events will be Treefort Festival, which runs Sept. 22-26 and announced in August that it would require proof of vaccination within 48 hours of entry. It applies to all the festival’s venues.
Other upcoming permitted events in Boise include various Oktoberfest celebrations in September.
McLean referenced the crisis facing Idaho hospitals, as many are being bombarded with COVID-19 patients, with 626 patients in hospital beds statewide as of Friday.
“Our hospitals are full of unvaccinated people,” McLean said. “I know that those of us who are vaccinated, who wore masks, who have made sacrifices to protect ourselves in our community, are incredibly frustrated and disheartened.”
Tuesday’s announcement, though, was less severe than previous restrictions implemented in the city, when there were fewer hospitalizations.
McLean did not issue a general mask mandate as she did early in the pandemic. She said managing events is “the single most effective tool that we have right now.” Events had also been canceled at the onset of the coronavirus.
The city has required that masks be worn inside all city facilities since July.
This story was originally published September 14, 2021 at 3:09 PM.
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