PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — University of Maine sports fans will have to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test to go to home hockey and basketball games.
The university announced the policy on Monday. The new policy goes into effect on Friday, and fans will also have to wear a mask to enter sports venues, UMaine officials said.
Masks are required indoors for all people over the age of 2 at UMaine sports events. The university said it also reserves the right to request additional screening of patrons before they enter buildings.
“If guests are unable to provide valid proof of vaccination, a valid negative test, or fail the enhanced screening, guests will be turned away from the event,” the university said in a statement.
Children under 12 will not be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test or a valid COVID-19 vaccination, the university said.
UMaine hockey is one of the most popular and successful college sports programs in northern New England. The Black Bears play their home games at Alfond Arena on the school’s Orono campus, about 140 miles north of Portland.
The men’s hockey team’s home opener is Oct. 22 against Sacred Heart University. The women’s team’s season has started already and it’s next game is Friday against University of Connecticut.
In other pandemic news in Maine:
THE NUMBERS
The number of new cases of coronavirus continued to trend upward in Maine. Cases in most states are trending downward in October.
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Maine has risen over the past two weeks from 468.86 new cases per day on Sept. 25 to 580.00 new cases per day on Oct. 9. The seven-day rolling average of daily deaths in Maine has risen over the past two weeks from 4.14 deaths per day on Sept. 25 to 7.00 deaths per day on Oct. 9.
The AP is using data collected by Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering to measure outbreak caseloads and deaths across the United States.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Monday that there have been more than 94,000 positive cases of the virus in the state since the start of the pandemic. The agency reported that there have also been 1,075 deaths.
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