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Bonnaroo: Vaccination Card Or Negative Test Now Required
Douglas Mason / Getty Images – Bonnaroo
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival announced Tuesday that its festival-goers will be required to show proof that they’ve been vaccinated for COVID-19 or tested negative for the virus within 72 hours of attending the event.
The four-day festival in Manchester, Tennessee starts on Sept. 2. It was delayed for more than a year due by the coronavirus pandemic.
“The safety of our patrons and staff is our number one priority,” Bonnaroo officials said in statement said, adding that the last day to receive the second shot of the COVID-19 vaccine and be fully protected is Aug. 19.
Bonnaroo’s announcement comes just after Chicago’s Lollapalooza music festival announced similar requirement earlier this year.
Like Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo will require attendees to present their vaccination cards. If they don’t, individuals must have a copy of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of entering the festival’s hub known as “Centeroo.” Bonnaroo will offer rapid testing for $40 if patrons miss the 72-hour window or do not have their vaccination card.
Unvaccinated attendees are asked to wear masks.
Tennessee has seen 12,837 COVID-19 related deaths to date, according to researchers from Johns Hopkins.
That death count is the 15th highest in the country overall and the 24th highest per capita at 189.6 deaths per 100,000 people. Meanwhile, over the past two weeks, the rolling average number of daily new cases has increased by about 2,045, an increase of nearly 163%.
The state is averaging 1,449 current COVID-19 hospitalizations according to data through August 8 from the Department of Health and Human Services.