L.A. Moviegoers Have to Be Vaccinated. Why Not Oscar Attendees?
variety.comGene Maddaus Senior Media WriterTo go out to a movie in Los Angeles, patrons must show proof of COVID vaccination. The same applies for sitting in a restaurant or going to a gym or getting a haircut.When Hollywood’s brightest stars gather for the Academy Awards on March 27, they will not face a vaccine requirement.
But the same “mega event” loophole that allows the Crypto.com Arena to be vaccine optional will allow the Oscars to also offer that option.The Academy confirmed on Wednesday that attendees will have the option to show a recent negative COVID test instead.On its face, the rule doesn’t make much sense.
Surely the risk of COVID transmission is higher in a crowd of thousands of people — elbowing for space at the bar, or bunched in line for the Dolby Theatre bathrooms — than it would be in a mostly-empty movie theater across the street.
But that’s the odd result of a complex patchwork of COVID regulations in Los Angeles.Last October, the Los Angeles City Council passed an ordinance that imposes a vaccine requirement for a broad array of indoor venues, including theaters, restaurants, yoga studios, live performance venues, malls, and sports arenas.
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