City approves ACL Music Festival's COVID health & safety plan

Austin Public Health says it has reviewed and approved the Austin City Limits Music Festival's COVID-19 health and safety plan.

The approval is part of the special events permitting process and officials say the plan was reviewed in accordance with the City of Austin and Travis County's current COVID-19 mitigation requirements. Officials say even though the ACL Music Festival's plan was approved, final approval of the event "is still contingent on the ability to support the healthcare and safety system."

The following plan has been approved for those who wish to attend the festival: 

  • A printed copy of a negative COVID-19 test result will be required to attend ACL Festival 2021. The negative COVID-19 printed test result must be obtained within 72 hours of entering ACL Festival.
  • Patrons who are fully vaccinated may show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination instead of proof of negative test. Patrons showing proof of vaccine do not need to be tested to enter ACL Festival.

The festival's organizers also must develop strategies for maintaining at least six feet of social distancing, and include "mask zones" in outdoor event areas where social distancing is not possible.

"ACL Festival organizers submitted a COVID-19 Health & Safety Plan that is sensitive to the current strain on our healthcare system and includes strategies to reduce the need to transport patients to local hospitals. Additionally, their plan requires masking indoors and in established mask zones, social distancing where possible, and indicates an ability to ensure attendees have a negative COVID test and/or are fully vaccinated," said Austin Public Health Department Director, Adrienne Sturrup, in a news release.

More details on the event’s ACL Festival Fan Health Pledge can be found on the ACL Festival website.

Officials say the fate of the festival is still up in the air and that the final decision will depend on hospital admissions and case numbers, which officials say is an evolving situation. it appears that the first two weekends of October will go as planned, although there is more uncertainty than many expected.

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