https://www.washingtonian.com/2021/12/22/dc-will-require-vaccination-at-restaurants-gyms-theaters-and-other-indoor-venues/

After a week of skyrocketing Covid cases, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced today that DC will require proof of vaccination at restaurants, gyms, entertainment facilities, and other indoor venues beginning Jan. 15. Come March, all DC students who are eligible for Covid vaccines must also receive them.

DC will join New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and a handful of other cities that have already rolled out similar policies for indoor gathering places. The news follows the emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant, which has overtaken Delta nationally as the predominant Covid virus strain. Between December 17 and 19, DC reported 3,763 new cases, the highest number by a long shot since the pandemic began.



Patrons aged 12 and older must receive at least one dose of the Covid vaccine by January 15 in order to enter restaurants, bars, nightclubs, concert venues, recreation centers, gyms, concert halls, sporting venues, meeting establishments, and other indoor venues outlined here. By Feb. 15, they must be fully vaccinated. A physical CDC vaccination card, digital copy/photo, or other verification app (such as VaxYes or CLEAR) may all be accepted. There will be no test-out option at this time. The mandate focuses on patrons, but not employees. It does not currently include places of worship, museums, grocery stores, and retail stores. More guidance, including on potential health or religious exemptions, will be issued by the end of next week.

“We’re asking businesses to do more, but we also think this is a benefit to their business,” Bowser said.