Portland’s largest concert and sports venue will require visitors to provide proof of  COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative test to be allowed into the 6,200 seat facility.

Cumberland County announced its updated COVID-19 protocols for the Cross Insurance Arena on Thursday, and said the measures will remain until further notice, but are likely to change once the pandemic eases in Cumberland County.

The new rules will take effect Oct. 22 and will require that anyone age 12 or older show proof of vaccination or a negative test within 72 hours. Arena staff strongly urge that masks be worn inside the facility as well. Children too young to be vaccinated will be allowed inside but must wear a mask.

The arena has hosted concerts, including Elton John, Kevin Hart and Alan Jackson, and family shows such as Disney on Ice, the Harlem Globetrotters and Circque du Soleil. It is also the Maine Mariners hockey team’s home arena. The Mariners are scheduled to play the Worcester Railers in their home opener on Oct. 22, according to a schedule on the arena’s website. The arena is also used by the Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough and South Portland high school hockey teams and hosts late rounds of high school basketball tournaments.

Cumberland County said the rules align the arena with state and local recommendations, as well as guidance from the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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