COVID-19 Vaccine Now Required at USA Pickleball Championship

I wrote a few weeks ago about the change in dates for the USA Pickleball Championship being held at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden (IWTG) in California. Now the USA Pickleball Championships is having to deal with another issue. The IWTG is requiring people to have a COVID-19 vaccine to enter the facility regardless of whether you are a player, commentator, vendor or spectator. I'm not really sure how a person's vaccination status will be confirmed other than showing the card you received after the second dose of Pfizer and Moderna or the one dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. 

As you might expect, this has caused some controversy with some supporting the vaccine requirement and others not doing so. The unfortunate part is that USA Pickleball is caught in middle and many players are not happy. Once again, this is going to impact those not vaccinated if they have already made travel plans. But, it is IWTG's policy for the pickleball tournament although it is not in effect for players in the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament.  According to USA Pickleball this is because the professional tennis tours have strict protocols in place that includes extensive testing, monitoring, and reporting of  COVID-19.  All others entering IWTG for the tennis tournament do need to show proof of the COVID-19 vaccine.