Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz announced Tuesday that every fan in attendance at a Buffalo Bills home game this fall will need to be fully vaccinated and carry an Excelsior Pass, New York State’s electronic COVID-19 passport.
“Our goal is to have a 100% full house for the Bills and the Sabres, starting in the fall,” Poloncarz said during a media briefing, but those fans will need their vaccines. “There is no God-given right to attend a football game.”
Erie County is in support of returning fans to the stadium and arena, this upcoming fall. The best way to do this is to ensure all fans are vaccinated! pic.twitter.com/T2eGGrTAgp
— Mark Poloncarz (@markpoloncarz) April 13, 2021
According to Poloncarz, there will be no exemption for medical or religious reasons.
The Bills have been careful to not cross any lines since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. They want to receive funds from New York State and the County for a new stadium or stadium upgrades, which could be driving part of the conversation. That continued with their released statement.
“As we did last year, we will continue to cooperate and comply with all New York state and local government regulations regarding our sporting events,” wrote the Bills concisely.
We will continue updating as information becomes available.
The Bills had no fans in attendance during the 2020 season until the NFL playoffs in January of 2021. All fans had to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test and pay for it themselves. Other distancing and sanitizing measures were in place at the open-air stadium and concessions shut down early to follow local guidelines.