Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, arts organizations requiring vaccination, masks for indoor performances
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The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, along with Pittsburgh Cultural District arts organizations, announced Thursday that guests attending indoor performances at several venues will be required to provide proof of vaccination.
Masks also will be required for indoor performances while levels of community covid-19 transmission in Allegheny County are in the ‘substantial’ or ‘high’ tiers. Allegheny County is experiencing high levels of covid-19 transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The vaccination and mask requirements will be in effect at Arcade Comedy Theater, August Wilson African American Cultural Center, Benedum Center, Byham Theater, Greer Cabaret Theater, Harris Theater, Heinz Hall, Liberty Magic, O’Reilly Theater and 937 Liberty.
Some events will require guests to don masks regardless of community transmission. Guests will be notified of the masking rules when buying tickets.
Guest services will contact ticket buyers to confirm attendance requirements before the event.
For all events, guests must be fully vaccinated with the Moderna, Pfizer or Johnson & Johnson covid-19 vaccine. They will need to show proof of vaccination to enter the theater — along with their valid ticket and driver’s license or other government-issued identification.
To be considered fully vaccinated, an individual must have received their second dose of the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine — or their single dose of the one-shot Johnson & Johnson inoculation — at least 14 days prior.
There will be exceptions for children under 12 who are ineligible for the vaccines, as well as for people who are unvaccinated for medical or religious reasons. Guests who fall into those exception categories must provide proof of a negative covid-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the performance or a negative covid-19 antigen test taken within 24 hours of the performance. Self-administered tests will not be accepted.
“Amid rising covid-19 cases and the increasing threat of the delta variant, we are implementing this layer of defense to provide the highest level of public safety for audiences, staff, volunteers and artists,” said Scott Shiller, vice president of artistic planning for the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust and the head of the Roadmap to Reopening Committee. “We feel that this measure, hopefully a temporary one, will allow arts venues to open and remain open while individuals take the best precautions for their own health and safety. We all need to work together to successfully combat this virus and end the pandemic. I know our Pittsburgh community is up for the challenge.”
Cultural District organizations also have upgraded HVAC units to enhance air filtration and quality, installed touchless fixtures in all venues, enhanced cleaning procedures at all venues and conducted staff training on covid safety.
They also will implement security screening to expedite the entry process and limit physical contact.
“The goal of numerous layers of defense is to provide as much protection for our stakeholders as possible,” Shiller said. “While no single layer is strong enough on its own, together these will all contribute positively to the health and safety of our guests in the Cultural District. Requiring vaccinations is the most recent addition to our arsenal against covid-19, and we hope that our guests will be comforted by it.”
All staff, volunteers and artists in Cultural District venues are required to be fully vaccinated. They also must wear masks while not performing and undergo regular virus testing.
Other area performing arts organizations — including Attack Theatre, City of Asylum, City Theatre, Off the Wall Productions/Carnegie Stage, MCG Jazz, Quantum Theatre and Pittsburgh Playhouse at Point Park University — are implementing similar policies.