ALBANY, New York, USA (AP) – The New York state government will make an exception in the restriction of large gatherings of people and will allow the entrance of 6,700 fans for the postseason game that the Buffalo Bills will play as venues in January as long as all spectators test negative for coronavirus prior to the game.
The number of fans that can enter represents 10% of the stadium’s capacity. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said team staff will only allow entry for those who test negative. And those spectators will have to sit apart.
Fans will have to wear their mask from the moment they leave their vehicles in the parking lot and until they return to them. They will be asked to remove themselves if they remove the mask.
Cuomo, who sent health department personnel to study COVID-19 protocols in stadiums in other states, defended his administration’s efforts to allow fans into the game at a time when 11,000 people have given up. positive to the day in New York.
He said the pilot program could be the model to reopen business with rapid tests, which his budget director Robert Mujica considered possible three days before the meeting. Cuomo asked his health department to track the contact of the 6,700 fans who will be at the meeting.
The department did not provide specific information on the pilot program, including whether the state has the resources to conduct contact tracing of fans after the game and whether fans who have been exposed to COVID-19 in the week before the game will be able to. assist.
“We believe that we are the first state in the country to carry out this type of pilot program. We believe it could be illustrative in the future, “said Cuomo.
State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker previously said he was looking at how to deal with the potential for coronavirus cases to rise from pre-game and post-game fan gatherings.
Zucker and Cuomo asked fans Wednesday not to host or attend parties and other mass gatherings.
On its website, the team indicated that tickets will be offered to those who have season tickets for the entire campaign, taking seniority into consideration. They will hardly be available to the general public.
Fans will have to pay $ 63 for the test. The match will be played on January 9 or 10.
The Bills clinched their first AFC East title since 1995. It will be their first postseason game at home since December 28, 1996, when they lost the wild card game 30-27 to Jacksonville.
That was the last meeting for Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly.
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