On Friday evening, thousands of fans will stream into Oracle Park to watch the San Francisco Giants take on the Los Angeles Dodgers in the teams’ first-ever postseason matchup as the National League Division Series kicks off.
Less than a mile south, the Golden State Warriors will host the Los Angeles Lakers at the Chase Center in a preseason game. There will be gridlock and crowded sidewalks, vendors hawking overpriced merchandise and plenty of good old-fashioned ribbing in divided households.
Things might feel almost normal again. Except, not quite. Playoffs or not, the pandemic is still with us. Here’s what you need to know about vaccine requirements, seating and more.
Q: Are coronavirus vaccines required to go to the games?
A: That depends on the game you’re attending. Baseball fans are not required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test to get into Oracle Park, because it’s outdoors. At the Chase Center, however, attendees 12 and up will need to show proof of vaccination to watch Stephen Curry do battle with Lebron James. You’ll also need to bring a government-issued ID to go along with that proof. While the Chase Center would like you to download the CLEAR Health Pass to prove your vaccination status, they’ll also accept your vaccination card, a photo of the card or the QR code generated when you use California’s digital vaccine record tool. The Chase Center website has more details.
Q: What about kids who are too young to be vaccinated?
A: At Oracle Park, kids can enter the same as anyone, no testing required. At the Chase Center, kids ages 2-11 will need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test done in the past 72 hours. This requirement also applies to unvaccinated people who have religious or medical exemptions.
Q: What if I don’t want to get vaccinated but I don’t have an exemption?
A: No vaccine or exemption, no entry.
Q: Why do the two venues have different requirements?
A: San Francisco requires that attendees of indoor events with more than 1,000 people show proof of vaccination. Because Chase Center is an indoor arena, the requirement applies. The virus spreads much more easily inside. Oracle Park is an outdoor stadium, so the vaccination requirement does not apply. (A caveat: If you want to eat at Oracle Park’s on-site restaurant, Public House, or visit the Gotham Club or Cloud Club, both for members only, you’ll need proof of vaccination.)
Q: What about masks — are those required?
A: At Oracle Park, fans will need to mask up in indoor spaces (like the bathrooms) and at concession and merchandise stands. At the Chase Center, all fans age 2 and up will be required to wear a mask — no gaiters or bandanas — when they’re not eating or drinking.
Q: Are there vaccinated sections at Oracle Park for fans who don’t want to be near unvaccinated people? How about socially distanced seating?
A: The stadium used to offer vaccinated sections but those have been discontinued. Both venues are also back to operating at full capacity.
Q: How much are tickets going for anyway?
A: Ticket prices and sales indicate there are plenty of people eager to get back to watching sports shoulder-to-shoulder with friends and strangers alike. As of Friday morning, Ticketmaster showed tickets for the Warriors game ranging from about $40 to more than $700. The Giants’ historic meeting with Dodgers is understandably pricier — tickets available on StubHub for Game 1 ranged from $150 to $2,600. Game 2 on Saturday were going for even higher. And if the rivals meet up again Thursday night in a potential decisive Game 5, you’d be smart to grab seats now before they soar beyond the $230 to $5,000 price tag.
