This year's Oscars ceremony will not require in-person attendees to provide proof of vaccination against Covid.
After a 2021 ceremony that saw the Academy Awards downsize to a smaller gathering at Los Angeles' Union Station, the Oscars will return to its traditional setting in the Dolby Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard for its upcoming ceremony on March 27.
It is not yet known if the audience size might be reduced this year.
In accordance with health and safety procedures, last year's event imposed severe COVID-19 testing and costume limitations for in-person guests. In Los Angeles particularly, guidelines requiring confirmation of vaccination have become standard for big events.
While the Academy is considering vaccinating attendees, the 2022 Academy Awards will also require participants to be tested before entry, and unvaccinated visitors will face tighter testing procedures.
Last year's ceremony featured strict Covid testing and masking policies for in-person attendees, in accordance with health and safety protocols. In the year since, vaccines against the virus have become widely available to the general public.
L.A. County is still a long way from repealing its indoor mask requirement. Oscars will be held on 27 March 2022. On Tuesday, public health director Barbara Ferrer stated that, barring exceedingly rare incidents, the mask regulations would likely be lifted in late April, far after the Oscars.
For the forthcoming ceremony, the Academy has yet to issue an official COVID-19 policy. According to reports, the Academy decided to take a less stringent position on vaccination status since a no-entry policy would have prohibited some unvaccinated participants or speakers from attending the ceremony.
However, other award shows this season, including the Screen Actors Guild and the Critics Choice Awards, still require attendees to provide proof of the COVID-19 vaccination certificate.