Required vaccinations trending for businesses, venues

In a wave of announcements, several local businesses and organizations are now setting policies for required vaccinations, according to multiple reports. UnityPoint Health, which owns Meriter Hospital in Madison, will require its 33,000 workers to be fully vaccinated by Nov. 1. UW Health, Advocate Aurora Health, and SSM Health, which owns St. Mary’s hospitals, had already issued similar mandates. Epic Systems had also announced that employees need to be vaccinated by October. City of Madison and Dane County employees will also need to provide proof of vaccination or submit to regular testing. Just this week, Madison’s Forward Theater Co. decided to require masks, a photo ID, and either a physical vaccination card or a photo of a valid card, to see an in-person performance. Officials at Summerfest, a large outdoor music festival to be held this fall, said they would require either a negative COVID-19 test or proof of vaccination for attendees. For many organization leaders, the rapid spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant is the motivation for their decision.