Report: Ticketmaster could require fans to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination to attend NHL games

Earlier this week pharmaceutical giant Phizer announced that it had been working on a potential COVID-19 vaccine that has shown effectiveness in 90% of test cases. Obviously this is incredible news and, if nothing else, it provides all of us with a bit of light at the end of this dark tunnel that we've been living in since March. 

But here's the thing... the vaccine is still new. Doctors and scientists don't know the full impacts of the vaccine and likely won't know for years to come. With that in mind, it's important to exercise some caution and some restraint in getting the entire population vaccinated. After all, it will be voluntary, right? Right!? Well... apparently not if you want to go to an NHL game or a concert...

Reports yesterday from multiple sources seemed to indicate that event ticketing giant Ticketmaster is considering a policy that would see patrons provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result within 24 hours of any event.

More details here:

“As part of that preparation, Ticketmaster has been working on a framework for post-pandemic fan safety that uses smart phones to verify fans’ vaccination status or whether they’ve tested negative for the coronavirus within a 24 to 72 hour window,” a report from a Ticketmaster spokesperson read earlier this week.

“Many details of the plan, which is still in development phase, will rely on three separate components – the Ticketmaster digital ticket app, third party health information companies like CLEAR Health Pass or IBM’s Digital Health Pass and testing and vaccine distribution providers like Labcorp and the CVS Minute Clinic,” the report continued.

The protocol will reportedly put the burden of proof on fans and they'll need to provide medical proof that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19 or have tested negative for the virus 24 to 72 hours before the event. Test results can be sent directly to Ticketmaster for verification. A positive test or a refusal to take a test could lead to fans being denied entry.

Frankly, I don't know if Ticketmaster can legally do this. In fact, no one really knows. Despite this, Ticketmaster is reportedly forging ahead with their plan. I find this to be an invasion of privacy and... well... it's downright creepy. Thoughts?