The Chicken Box and Cisco Brewers will begin requiring customers to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test before being granted entry to the two popular island establishments.
The new policy takes effect tomorrow, Aug. 10, at Cisco and The Box. They are the first establishments on Nantucket to implement such a requirement, but more island bars and music venues are weighing similar measures at the peak of the summer season.
Amid a growing COVID-19 outbreak on Nantucket being fueled by the highly contagious Delta variant and the challenges of implementing the town’s new indoor mask order in a live music environment, representatives of the Box and Cisco said they were putting the new policy in place for the safety of their patrons and staff, as well as the bands and vendors at their venues. The two establishments hope the new measure will preclude the necessity for further restrictions by the Nantucket Board of Health, including capacity limits that will be under consideration at its next meeting.
There will be different caveats of the new safety measure at each establishment.
At the Chicken Box, the policy will be enforced starting Tuesday with the Grace Potter concert, and during all nighttime shows moving forward. The Box will be offering refunds for anyone who purchased tickets to a show and cannot meet the new requirements.
At Cisco Brewers, the policy also goes into effect Tuesday during all operating hours, but there will be an exception for children under the age of 12 who are not eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, as the brewery is popular spot for families.
Proof of vaccination or a negative test that will be accepted for entry include:
- A physical vaccination card (name on the ID must match with the vaccination card)
- A photo of the vaccination card on your phone (name on ID must match with vaccination card)
- Results of a negative COVID-19 test within the past 72 hours (both antigen and PCR tests will be accepted)
The decision by the Box and Cisco comes as bars and restaurants across the country are taking similar measures (see here, here, here, and here), and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio just announced that proof of vaccination will be required for all indoor dining, fitness and entertainment. In Europe, Italy has just implemented a nationwide health passport program to provide proof of COVID-19 vaccination for entry to indoor dining, theater, museums, fitness centers, and other activities.
On Nantucket, island health officials confirmed another 37 new positive COVID-19 tests were announced yesterday. Nantucket Cottage Hospital reported four people were hospitalized on the island last Friday with the virus, and a fifth patient who had been hospitalized locally with COVID-19 last week was recently discharged. Since July 15, Nantucket has recorded 253 new cases of COVID-19, and another four patients with the virus have been transferred off-island by Medflight helicopter to a higher level of care.
