No Vaccine, No Entry!

Ticketmaster and Live Nation is forcing you to show them your vaccine papers to get into concerts.

According to Billboard, Ticketmaster – and its parent company Live Nation – have begun plotting what a post-pandemic world will look like. Companies of all kinds will follow in their footsteps. Businesses will make you prove you've been vaccinated or have a negative test for COVID-19 to do anything starting next year. This is not a conspiracy theory. They're announcing it.

The details of the plan are still unclear. Still, the program will rely on three separate components -- the Ticketmaster digital ticket app, third party health information companies like CLEAR Health Pass or IBM's Digital Health Pass, and testing and vaccine distribution providers like Labcorp and the CVS Minute Clinic.

From the report: 

Here's how it would work, if approved: After purchasing a ticket for a concert, fans would need to verify that they have already been vaccinated (which would provide approximately one year of COVID-19 protection) or test negative for coronavirus approximately 24 to 72 hours prior to the concert. The length of coverage a test would provide would be governed by regional health authorities -- if attendees of a Friday night concert had to be tested 48 hours in advance, most could start the testing process the day before the event. If it was a 24-hour window, most people would likely be tested the same day of the event at a lab or a health clinic.

Billboard adds. 

Once the test was complete, the fan would instruct the lab to deliver the results to their health pass company, like CLEAR or IBM. If the tests were negative, or the fan was vaccinated, the health pass company would verify the attendee's COVID-19 status to Ticketmaster, which would then issue the fan the credentials needed to access the event. If a fan tested positive or didn't take a test to verify their status, they would not be granted access to the event. 

This raises a few questions:

• What if a fan doesn't have a smartphone? 

• What happens if a fan decides to go to a concert last minute? 

• Can someone bypass Ticketmaster by purchasing tickets directly at the box office?

The report says Ticketmaster wouldn't store or have access to fans' medical records. They would only receive verification of whether a fan is cleared to attend an event on a given date. This is conditioning the public to accept further intrusion into our lives. Some might say, "It's ok to share your health data. It's just a covid test or proof of a vaccine." What makes anyone think this will be the end of their requests? 

There's no universal system used with providers today. The plan states, "different states will have different requirements." Why is that the case? Is there to be federal oversight? Why should a concert venue be able to get access to such personal medical information? 

The main role of companies like health pass companies will be to collect data from testing and medical providers and deliver status updates to partner companies in a secure, encrypted way that complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). 

We don't do this for any other virus, ailment, or disease. Why is this even remotely acceptable? What basis does any entity like this have to compel people to reveal what infections they have or had in the past? When the COVID-19 vaccine has been disseminated, and people choose to take it, why would those people be concerned if others haven't been vaccinated? Even with a 90% vaccine effectiveness rate, a 10% chance remains that a person can become infected.

I'm pretty sure Ticketmaster will charge a COVID-19 "facilities fee" on top of every other fee they tack on now. 

Think about the next steps. What about movie theaters? Broadway shows? Museums? Your job? Is a check for diabetes next? "Sorry, you can't enter this Cheesecake Factory because you are on meds, and your glucose scans at 143." Do we stop all economic activity because of a measles, mumps, or tuberculosis outbreak?

Government overreach, once again. Think things through.

Speaking of government. Good luck trying to enforce this:

Andrew Cuomo @NYGovCuomo

New York follows the science. We know indoor gatherings and parties are a major source of COVID spread. To slow the spread, NYS will limit indoor gatherings at private residences to 10 people. This limit takes effect Friday at 10pm.

Clayton Craddock is an independent thinker, father of two beautiful children in New York City. He is the drummer of the hit broadway musical Ain’t Too Proud. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Howard University’s School of Business and is a 28 year veteran of the fast-paced New York City music scene. He has played drums in several hit broadway and off-broadway musicals, including “Tick, tick…BOOM!, Altar Boyz, Memphis The Musical, and Lady Day At Emerson’s Bar and Grill. Also, Clayton has worked on: Footloose, Motown, The Color Purple, Rent, Little Shop of Horrors, Spongebob Squarepants The Musical, Evita, Cats, and Avenue Q.

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