It has been reported that this year’s Oscars ceremony will not require in-person attendees to show confirmation of immunization against COVID-19.
Following a smaller gathering at Los Angeles’ Union Station in 2021, the Oscars will return to its traditional location in the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard for the next ceremony on March 27. It is unknown whether the crowd size will be reduced this year.
In compliance with health and safety regulations, last year’s ceremony included strict COVID-19 testing and masking policies for in-person attendance. Vaccines against the virus have become widely available to the general public in the year since. Guidelines requiring confirmation of vaccination have become standard for large-scale events, particularly in Los Angeles.
Despite the Academy’s recommendation that attendees be vaccinated, the 2022 Oscars event will also require participants to be tested prior to attending, with unvaccinated guests subject to additional and more stringent testing measures.
Under this guideline, the Academy is technically in compliance with Los Angeles County’s policy on “indoor mega events,” which requires all guests ages 2 and older to have either complete vaccination status or a negative COVID-19 test on the day of the event.
It should be noted, however, that other award shows this season, such as the Screen Actors Guild and the Critics’ Choice Awards, still require participants to show proof of immunization.
L.A. County’s indoor mask mandate will not be lifted for some time. On Tuesday, public health director Barbara Ferrer said that, barring extraordinarily low case numbers, the earliest mask regulations would likely be lifted is late April, well after the Academy Awards ceremony date in March.
For its next ceremony, the Academy has yet to issue an official COVID-19 policy. According to reports, the Academy may have chosen a less stringent stance on vaccination status since a no-entry policy would have prohibited some unvaccinated candidates or presenters from attending the ceremony.