Anyone attending a game or other event at TD Place in Ottawa this fall will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 after the venue announced Tuesday it is dropping the negative test result option for attendees.
The Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, which fields local sports teams including the CFL’s Redblacks and the OHL’s 67’s and which operates TD Place at Lansdowne Park, first announced on Aug. 23 that it would put a COVID-19 vaccination policy in place for all staff and game attendees starting Sept. 12.
That policy required any attendees aged 12 and older to show proof of two-dose vaccination to be admitted to any events at the stadium, or to produce a negative COVID-19 testing result.
That negative test workaround has now been removed, except in the cases of those with medical or human rights-based exemptions to the vaccine. Any fan who requires such an exemption is asked to contact ticket sales before the game to set up their access.
Masks will still be required for any attendees, except when eating or drinking in their seats.
Staff at games will also need to be fully vaccinated to work the events.
The Ontario government announced plans to introduce a vaccine certificate program in the weeks ahead, though a digital system isn’t expected to be in place until mid-October.
In the interim, guests at TD Place will have to provide a copy of their vaccination receipt, either as a hard copy or a PDF, along with photo identification, to be allowed through the gates.
“We continue to operate in a fluid environment. Government mandates, the recently announced provincial digital vaccination certificate, venue protocols and event requirements continue to evolve and are also subject to change,” the venue said in a statement.
TD Place has a frequently asked questions section on its website for those unsure of the vaccination requirements.
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