JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — If you were anywhere near downtown Jacksonville Friday night, you could hear life coming back after Daily's Place held one of it's biggest concerts since the pandemic broke out.
Just this month, the venue has held eight concerts including Friday's with the Jonas Brothers, a tour which requires proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.
It's raising questions about if the venue could potentially be fined if it's found to be violating the state's vaccine passport ban, a fine that could cost the venue $5,000 per violation.
This week, the Florida Department of Health released a list of businesses it’s investigating for violating Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order banning vaccine mandates. Daily’s Place was one of the handfuls of Northeast Florida businesses on the list.
However, according to our partners at the Florida Times-Union, concerts with requirements like Friday's with the Jonas Brothers would not be in violation of the executive order.
"SB 2006 only prohibits businesses from requiring proof of vaccination from customers as a condition of entry or service," said Christina Pushaw, DeSantis' press secretary. "If concert-goers can provide a negative COVID test instead of a vaccine passport, that is acceptable under the law. People who want to show proof of vaccination instead of a COVID test are free to do that. It just cannot be compelled."
Before the Jonas Brothers hit the stage in Jacksonville, this formal announcement on the Daily’s Place website read:
“Please note this show is requiring all fans to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event for entry. In lieu of proof of a negative test, ticket holders may voluntarily provide proof of full vaccination (at least two weeks after final dose).”
Staff checked for proof from thousands of fans before the sold-out show. Venue staff also had to meet the requirements before entering.
“This is our first concert back since COVID, so we’re very excited to go back to going to concerts," concertgoer Kimber Cordova said.
Daily’s Place had the right to turn away any fans at the checkpoint if they couldn’t provide either option, but a venue representative said it also offered onsite tests for $50 if someone needed one last minute.
Many fans First Coast News spoke with were either indifferent on the issue or more comfortable with the health requirements.
“I think it’s a good idea to make sure we’re not necessarily spreading COVID to anyone," Cordova explained.
“I think it makes sense. I don’t think I would come if they didn’t require some sort of testing or something. It’s really unsafe. It’s killing lots of people," concertgoer Savannah Rose said.
However, others weren’t happy about the requirements, including Keiffer Marino who received the vaccine in January.
“We’re pushing the boundaries of personal freedom," Marino explained. "It’s a violation of people’s personal freedom, discussing personal information. I’m just not comfortable with it. I wouldn’t tell you if I got a flu vaccine.”
A Daily’s Place representative says it did give refunds to anyone who did not comply with the requirement.
If you’re planning to attend any concerts in the near future, you're encouraged to check the venue’s website to see what health requirements the tour is requiring.