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Some Sacramento Businesses Require Proof Of Vaccination Upon Entry

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — No proof of vaccine, no entry without a mask. It's a new policy some Sacramento businesses are adopting for safety reasons as concern over the Delta variant increases.

Business owners said this is also about staying open.

To get to the climbing wall at Sacramento Pipeworks, "you either have to show your vaccination card and then you're allowed to climb without a mask on or you have to wear a mask" said Liz Allen, a climber.

Allen and Jon Larracas both work out at Pipeworks and said they don't want to see the Sacramento area go backward.

"Right now, we just want every business to be open and we have to support them by following these rules," Larracas said.

The Torch Club in downtown Sacramento reminds their customers routinely to come with their card or no entry. The announcement sparked both support and backlash on social media. The bar said this is about safety as the Delta variant spreads.

"Would it make you feel safer going to a business you knew was checking people?" CBS13 asked Sacramento resident Jesse Cruz, who replied with, "Yes, yes I would."

The California Department of Public Health incentivizes requiring vaccine proof. The agency announced earlier this year that things like live events, conferences and performances can operate at significantly higher capacity levels if the business requires proof of vaccine. In many cases, the capacity limit doubles with a vaccine card requirement.

For those focused on safety, the push for vaccine proof is the next new normal.

"We went a whole year with these gyms being closed and it's a really important community resource for a lot of us. So if they need to reinstate mask policies to keep everyone safe, that's fine with us," Allen said.

Federal law does allow businesses to ask for proof of vaccination. However, legal experts say individual states could overrule that and pass a law that bans businesses from asking for proof. Florida is one state that has done that.

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