Arts & Entertainment
Barclays Center To Require Vaccinations, Launches $25K Contest
The Brooklyn venue will require customers and employees to be vaccinated starting Sept. 13 and will give workers the chance to win $25,000.
BROOKLYN, NY — Anyone who steps into the Barclays Center starting next month will need to prove they are at least partially vaccinated against the coronavirus, the venue announced.
The Brooklyn arena will require all workers and fans to have at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine starting Sept. 13, making it one of the first major venues to announce its support for the city's "Key to NYC" vaccine mandate.
The mandate kicked off for indoor activities Aug. 17, but won't begin enforcement Sept. 13.
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"We know that vaccines are one of the most important ways, one of the most important tools, that we have to fight this pandemic," Barclays CEO John Abbamondi said during a press conference with Mayor Bill de Blasio on Monday.
The vaccine mandate at the Barclays will come with a contest aimed at encouraging new and existing workers to get the shot, Abbamondi said.
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Any vaccinated worker who makes themselves available to work a shift at the venue will be entered to win a $25,000 prize. Each shift they are available to work will count as one entry into the contest, which will end with a drawing on Dec. 31, the CEO said.
The Barclays Center is set to kick off its basketball season with the Brooklyn Nets first pre-season game on Oct. 8.
The venue is also slated to host the MTV Video Music Awards and a line-up of other concerts this fall, Abbamondi said.
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