New year, new
me
rules.
Beginning January 3, 2022, which is somehow a little over two weeks away, restaurants and bars in Philadelphia must require patrons and employees to show proof of vaccination for indoor business.
Other major cities such as New York and San Francisco have had similar policies in place for months, and Boston has an indoor mask mandate.
Will the Phillies have new COVID protocols in accordance with Philadelphia’s new vaccine policies?
Though it’s not explicitly stated in the newest updates, the new policies will surely impact the Phillies. Sixers and Flyers fans will have to show proof of vaccination to attend home games at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center.
During the season, Major League Baseball implemented an initiative called Vaccinate At The Plate which offered free tickets and prizes to fans who got the free vaccines being offered at the ballparks. The Phillies leaned into the event and even had the Phillie Phanatic get vaccinated at a local zoo.
While the Phillies made a strong push for locals to get vaccinated, the team itself never reached the 85% threshold that would enable them to lessen restrictions. The Phillies were one of only six teams that never met the threshold, and for much of the season, couldn’t even surpass 50%.
During the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement, there was no way to require players to get vaccinated. President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski publicly expressed his frustration that so many of his players had refused to get the shot, despite the organization’s best efforts to educate and encourage them.
However, the issue is likely on the table now, as MLB and the players’ union could not come to an agreement on a new CBA and instead went into lockout.
It will be interesting to see what the new CBA and new year bring for the Phillies.