Raiders to require proof of COVID vaccination for fans at Allegiant Stadium

The Raiders will require proof of COVID-19 vaccinations for games at Allegiant Stadium this season, the NFL team announced Monday night.

Fans must show proof through the CLEAR app and Health Pass feature, and they will be allowed to enter the stadium without masks if fully vaccinated.

For those who aren’t vaccinated the Raiders will offer vaccinations on site at Allegiant Stadium before home games, allowing newly vaccinated fans to enter wearing a mask. Fans who have one of the two shots of Pfizer or Moderna will be allowed to enter, but must wear masks until fully inoculated, or two weeks after the second shot.

Fans between the ages of 2 and 11 who aren’t eligible for the vaccine can attend games but must wear a mask.

The policy will be in place for the first regular-season home game, the Sept. 13 “Monday Night Football” matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.

The Raiders are the first NFL team to announce a vaccine, no mask policy. The Saints are requiring fans to be vaccinated or show proof of a negative coronavirus test to attend games at Caesars Superdome, per a mandate from the New Orleans mayor.

The vaccination requirement by the Raiders comes on the heels of a new Emergency Directive from Gov. Steve Sisolak regarding large events.

“Health and safety has always been our No. 1 priority,” Raiders owner Mark Davis said in a statement. “After consultation with Gov. Sisolak and other community leaders, this policy ensures that we will be able to operate at full capacity without masks for fully vaccinated fans for the entire season.”

The decision came down to being able to have consistency throughout the season, as regulating mask-wearing in the stadium would be tough, as seen Saturday, Davis said.

“That’s (consistency) one thing we’re looking for more than anything with the pandemic,” Davis said. “We did the same thing last year. To get consistency, we didn’t let anybody go. I’m grateful for the governor giving us an option to continue with masks or nip it in the bud right now and go maskless and no attendance limits throughout the season. There was no real choice; this was the right way to go.”

Davis said fans who don’t want to get the vaccine can roll over their tickets to next season, where they will get 10 games for the price of nine, because the Seattle Seahawks game was played Saturday. Or they can opt for a refund on the remaining games, but will have to pay for all 10 games next season.

If fans sold some of their tickets on the secondary market, they aren’t eligible for a refund or to roll over the funds to next season. If those fans don’t want to get vaccinated, Davis recommended that they sell the rest of their tickets on the secondary market.

In May, the Raiders instituted a policy requiring all full-time employees on the business and football staffs of the organization to be vaccinated. Stadium management company ASM and stadium concessionaire Levy also have implemented mandatory vaccinations for full-time staff at the stadium.

“The Las Vegas Raiders are making the right choice to protect fans and visitors at Allegiant Stadium,” Clark County Commissioner Michael Naft said. “By utilizing Gov. Sisolak’s new directive, they are showing their commitment to the health and well-being of our entire community.”

Davis said he wasn’t aware what Allegiant Stadium as a whole would do as far as non-Raiders events as it relates to the vaccine requirement.

“We never try to dictate others,” he said. “We just tried to do what’s right, and health and safety are always No. 1, and we feel this is the best way to do it.”

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.