Dallas Mavericks to stop requiring COVID vaccination or negative tests for fans

In conjunction with the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks has announced that beginning Nov. 15, fans seated beyond 15 feet of the court will no longer need to complete a Fan Health Survey to enter the game at the American Airlines Center, a multi-purpose arena located in the Victory Park neighborhood in downtown Dallas, Texas. All fans seated within 15 feet of the court must submit proof of negative COVID-19 test or full vaccination status via MavsCheckIn.com.

The NBA has a league-wide policy that requires all fans seated within 15 feet of the court or player benches to show either proof of vaccination or a recent negative test at arenas.

The Mavericks said that the fans also do not have to submit proof of a negative COVID-19 test or full vaccination status within 48 hours of the game.

Face masks are still required for fans ages two and older if not actively eating or drinking, regardless of vaccination status, per the current Dallas County Mask mandate.

In an interview, owner Mark Cuban indicated the Mavericks would continue to loosen health and safety protocols for fans as the average case count of Dallas County remains below 500. Cuban said that the Mavericks are still working to create sections, whether in various locations around the arena or suites, that would help decrease potential COVID-19 exposure to cancer patients or immunocompromised individuals who attend games.

The Mavericks chose to update guidelines after consulting with public health officials and analyzing current data and health trends.

A Forbes report, released on Oct. 8, revealed that at least 15 teams asked fans to be vaccinated if they wanted to attend games. Four teams — the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, the Golden State Warriors and the Toronto Raptors — have a vaccine mandate with no apparent exception allowing unvaccinated adult fans to attend games.

Eleven teams — the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Oklahoma City Thunder, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings — were requiring fans to show either proof of vaccination or a negative test.

Maria Henriquez is a former Associate Editor of Security. She covered topics including cybersecurity and physical security, risk management and more.

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