Photography by Alise O'Brien
Powell Hall
Powell Hall
As fall approaches and the Delta variant continues to spread in the St. Louis area, 16 arts and culture organizations announced that they will require patrons to show either proof of full vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to attend indoor performances and events. The announcement came in a joint statement from the organizations.
They include:
- St. Louis Symphony Orchestra
- The Bach Society of Saint Louis
- The Black Rep
- Dance St. Louis
- Grand Center Inc.
- Jazz St. Louis
- Kranzberg Arts Foundation
- Metro Theater Company
- Modern American Dance Company (MADCO)
- National Blues Museum
- Opera Theatre of Saint Louis
- The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis
- The Sheldon Concert Hall and Art Galleries
- St. Louis Shakespeare Festival
- St. Louis Speakers Series
- STAGES St. Louis (beginning September 24)
The policies for each venue will differ, so audiences should check their websites before purchasing tickets or attending. Powell Hall, for example, will require patrons to show proof of full vaccination—both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna shots, or one of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine—or a negative COVID-19 test. Proof of vaccination must be either the actual paper vaccination card or a photo of it. The test must be a RT-PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance start time, or a negative antigen test taken within 24 hours of the performance start time. That policy goes into effect September 13.
The CDC has advised that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective, and the Pfizer vaccine received FDA approval on August 23.
Currently, 39 percent of city residents have completed vaccination. 49 percent of county residents have completed vaccination. According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Pandemic Task Force, St. Louis–area staffed hospital bed capacity is at 89 percent. Area ICUs are at 82 percent of their staffed bed capacity.
