American comedian Joe Rogan has announced that he is cancelling his sold-out Vancouver show due to the province's vaccine passport mandate.
Most widely known for hosting his self-titled, controversial podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, the 54-year-old entertainer has stated that he doesn't need to get immunized against COVID-19 as he has previously contracted the virus.
"I have antibodies, it doesn’t make any sense," he stated in a podcast on Christmas Eve, noting that he didn't think he could even get into Canada without getting vaccinated.
But health officials across the globe stress that individuals who have previously contracted COVID-19 may get reinfected, particularly by the Omicron variant. As such, they recommend individuals who have tested positive for the virus should still get vaccinated.
In a Facebook post, Rogan states that his 4-20 Vancouver show has been rescheduled for Saturday, Oct. 24, 2022, and that "previously purchased tickets will be honoured."
On the event page, Ticketmaster states that the event organizer "had to cancel" the event but did not list a reason for the cancellation. Ticket holders do not need to take action to receive a refund, as it will be processed to their original form of payment. This process may take some time as funds must first be received from the event organizer; this process is "usually completed within 30 days."
Ticketmaster notes that the event organizer is also offering a credit option that will be available in the event details section of the ticket holder's account.
The BC Vaccine Card Program was recently extended to cover events of all sizes, regardless of the number of people attending. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry told reporters in a press briefing that the order "no longer starts with events of 50 or more people, which has been the case in the last few months."
Seated events have also seen their capacity reduced to 50 per cent regardless of their venue size.
