It is shocking enough that Buffalo Bills secured a playoff game at home. But New York Governor Andrew Cuomo launched another surprise on Wednesday, announcing that thousands of Bills fans can watch the game next month in person – and he will be one of them.
“We are all thrilled,” Cuomo said on Wednesday in his diary COVID-19 briefing. “We all wanted Buffalo Bills to be good, it’s been a long time and this team has a contagious charisma and personality.”
Cuomo said this is the country’s first pilot program to resume live events during the pandemic, which will require all participants to test negative for the coronavirus before being admitted to the stadium. And it coincides with the Bills’ first home game in the playoffs in a quarter of a century.
Under the plan, some 6,200 fans can buy tickets and watch the game at Bills Stadium in Orchard Park – which accommodates about 72,000 people. Another 500 tickets will be reserved for team sponsors and family members. All participants must test negative for COVID-19 before entering, said Cuomo.
A $ 63 fee for the test will be considered in the admission costs. There will be drive-thru tests in the stadium’s parking lots.
Fans must wear masks and maintain social distance during the game, and unauthorized use before the game is banned. Contact tracking will also be required after the game to keep track of any possible spread of the disease.
Cuomo said the game is an experiment to see if the rapid test can help reopen parts of the economy in the coming months, as the pandemic shows no signs of slowing down during the early stages of vaccine distribution. If successful, the plan can be expanded to other events and businesses.
“If we can figure out how to use the test and the quick test – some of them, you can get the results in 20 minutes – then you can start reopening companies safely and intelligently using these quick tests,” said the governor.
But he noted that the game also has the advantage of being played in an outdoor stadium, which is safer than closed events. “It’s all the difference in the world between an outdoor location and a covered location,” said Cuomo.
The playoff game for the wild card will take place on 9 or 10 January, with the time and rival team yet to be determined. Tickets will go on sale on Thursday and will be available to season ticket holders who purchased tickets in early 2020.
The Bills are famous for their fan base “Bills Mafia”, a particularly passionate group of fans known, among other things, for going over folding tables before games that remained dedicated to the team, despite their unparalleled streak of defeats. In the surreal year of 2020, Bills had its best season in a generation, winning its first AFC East division title since 1995.
Account owners, Terry and Kim Pegula, attended Cuomo’s press conference virtually to celebrate the game-changing news.
“Remember, our goal here is to support our team in whatever way we can,” said Terry Pegula. “I ask you to stay safe, be smart and, most importantly, make noise.”