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Anime Weekend Atlanta 2021 Announces Mask, Vaccination Policy

The official website for the Anime Weekend Atlanta convention announced on July 18 that all participants will be required to wear a mask during its 2021 event. The mandate applies to "hotel staff, convention staff, AWA directors and crew, vendors, artists, exhibitors, and any human over the age of 2."

The event staff also stated it is requiring vaccinations for "all participants," but added, "If you are unable to receive the vaccine due to extenuating circumstances (age, religion, medical), you are participating in the event at your own risk."

Vaccination cards will not be required to pick up a badge. However, attendees can also present vaccination cards while picking up their badges so as to get a "special sticker that completes [their] badge design." The sticker will let other attendees know of a participant's vaccination status.

The website also detailed what constitutes a mask and other new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic related protocols, and also stated that the policy is subject to change.

The convention will take place from October 28-31 at the Cobb Galleria Centre & Renaissance Waverly in Atlanta.

Last year's event was scheduled to take place on October 29 to November 1. It was cancelled in favor of an online Halloween weekend event with registrations automatically rolling over to this year's event. According to the convention's website, the 2019 event had 35,000 attendees.

The staff of AWA describes the event:

AWA, or Anime Weekend Atlanta, is a 4 day celebration of celebration of Japanese culture, anime (animation) and manga (comics), with a dash of general pop-culture

Thanks to invalidname for the news tip.

Source: Anime Weekend Atlanta's website