News: LSU to Lift COVID-19 Protocols for Home Games in Tiger Stadium
LSU announced on Friday that the university would be lifting all COVID-19 protocols for home games in Tiger Stadium.
Because of "consistent decline in COVID infections and hospitalizations," fans are no longer required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test prior to the game. All guests in the stadium will still be required to wear masks while in the indoor portion of Death Valley, the press release stated.
All entrance procedures, including gameday testing will no longer be in place starting with the Oct. 16 outing against Florida, which is set to kickoff at 11 a.m.
“We cannot thank our fans enough for stepping up to help stop the spread while still supporting the Tigers,” LSU Director of Athletics Scott Woodward said. “Their commitment to protecting our community and supporting our student-athletes has never wavered. We remain fully committed to providing a gameday experience that is as safe and as enjoyable as possible for all guests, and we will continue to work with University leadership and rely on medical expertise to ensure we are taking reasonable and necessary precautions to protect the health of our community.”
Hospitalizations have decreased by 80 percent in recent weeks and the state's positivity rate is at five percent, significantly lower than the August peak of 16 percent. LSU is the first SEC school to lift its COVID-19 protocols after setting the precedent for COVID protocols starting in the 2020 season.
“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 five percent,” said Dr. Catherine O’Neal, Chief Medical Officer at Our Lady of the Lake Hospital in Baton Rouge. “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.”
