LSU is lifting its COVID-19 entrance policies for football games at Tiger Stadium, citing a “consistent and significant decline in COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations” in the state, the school announced Friday in a news release.
The change takes effect starting with LSU’s game against Florida on Oct. 16. All fans still must wear masks in the indoor portions of the stadium.
On Aug. 24, LSU announced fans would be required to present a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination status to attend a game because of the growing threat of the Delta variant.
But that has changed, said Dr. Catherine O’Neal, chief medical officer at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge and a member of the SEC’s Return to Activity and Medical Guidance Task Force.
“The COVID-19 rates in Louisiana have dropped dramatically across the state over the last couple of weeks, and today, the state has a positivity rate below 5 percent,” she said in a school news release. “Because of this success, we are able to lift the vaccine and testing requirements for entry into Tiger Stadium. By balancing mitigation efforts and risk in the ongoing fight to end the pandemic, we can protect our community and safely celebrate the traditions that bring us together.”
Children under age 12, who haven’t been eligible to be vaccinated, no longer will be required to wear a mask in outdoor parts of the stadium.
Louisiana’s rate of COVID-19 positivity is at 3.72 percent in the past week. In the past month, it is 6.49 percent, per the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.
LSU (3-2, 1-1 SEC) plays at No. 16 Kentucky (5-0, 3-0) on Saturday.
–Field Level Media