Twitch changes course, will now require masks at TwitchCon

Twitch was all set to hold a giant maskless convention in San Diego this October in the midst of monkeypox and the continued threat of COVID-19 — but after an outcry that included both attendees and some of its own streamer partners, the platform has decided to require masks and proof of vaccination once again.

“We’ve been listening to all of your feedback and know that many of you–especially those who are immunocompromised and the people who support them–want stricter health measures in place to help you feel safe attending TwitchCon San Diego in person,” reads the beginning of a major update to the company’s blog post announcing that tickets were on sale.

To attend TwitchCon, attendees 5 years and older now need to wear a snug mask that completely covers the nose and mouth and need to either present proof of at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine or a record of a negative COVID-19 test no more than 72 hours before the event, according to TwitchCon’s updated health measures FAQ. Can’t handle that for whatever reason? The company’s offering refunds until August 19th.

Yesterday, the CDC relaxed its COVID-19 guidelines and is no longer telling people they should necessarily stay six feet away from others or strictly quarantine if they were merely exposed to COVID-19.

However, it still says that anyone who was exposed should wear a high-quality mask for 10 days and get tested after five — and that people who actually test positive for COVID-19 should quarantine for at least five days, wear a mask for at least 10 days, and stay away from people who could get sick for at least 11 days.

Masking, like the pandemic itself, has not yet gone away.