Fans attending games at Ball Arena or concerts at either that facility or Denver’s Paramount Theatre will soon have to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or of a negative test taken within three days of their event.
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) announced the new policy on Wednesday. It is to go into effect on Nov. 10. It will also apply to all arena staff, and the personnel of the teams that play in the arena, home to the NBA’s Nuggets, NHL’s Avalanche and the National Lacrosse League’s Mammoth.
Those under the age of 12 will not be required to show proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test, but must wear a face mask at all times. All staff and fans age 2 and older will be required to wear a face mask at all times regardless of their vaccination status.
In a statement, KSE said the policy will apply to all events and will remain in place until further notice.
The arena went to full capacity this fall after allowing much smaller crowds last spring. The city of Denver at this point leaves it up to venues to decide what pandemic measures to take. Ball Arena does have a mask requirement, but based on images from the Colorado Avalanche home opener earlier this month, compliance from fans was spotty.
The move comes with Colorado struggling to contain a fifth wave of the pandemic, fueled by the super-contagious delta variant, with hospitalizations and cases surging to levels not seen in nearly a year and the state’s hospitals warning about dangerously tight acute-care capacity.
“After consultation with local, state and federal government and health authorities along with the guidance of the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Hockey League (NHL), National Lacrosse League (NLL) and in consultation with national concert promoters and entertainment providers, the decision to institute these protocols for all events reinforces KSE’s continued commitment to ensure that the health, safety and wellness of our fans, frontline workers, staff, performers and athletes is our top priority,” said Matt Hutchings, EVP and Chief Operating Officer.
“The verification process for the proof of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test will take place outside of the entrances at each facility and we encourage our fans to arrive early, come prepared with the required documentation for entry and to wear a face mask at all times while inside the venue except when eating and drinking,” Hutchings said.
KSE has posted additional information and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Ball Arena can be found at https://www.ballarena.com/newsafetyprotocols/ and for Paramount Theatre at https://www.paramountdenver.com/newsafetyprotocols.
For events that take place now through November 9, 2021, additional information and FAQs for Ball Arena can be found at https://www.ballarena.com/welcomebacktoballarena and for Paramount Theatre at https://www.paramountdenver.com/welcomebacktoparamount/.
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