The NFL's Buffalo Bills have submitted to New York a plan that would allow fans to attend home playoff games next month if they test negative for COVID-19.
Governor Andrew Cuomo, said the Bills would like to allow up to 6,700 fans into Bills Stadium in Orchard Park, N.Y. , when the team hosts its first playoff game since 1995.
"We're looking to test a hypothesis," Cuomo told the media Wednesday, per the New York Post. “The National Football League currently does games without testing.
"Could we allow fans to the game with testing and then contact trace after the game? That's what the Department of Health has been working on."
The governor said the plan, still being developed, potentially could serve as a model for how future large-scale events could be held.
Several NFL teams have allowed a relatively small number of fans this season, while others have played before no crowds. The league currently does not require fans to test negative before a game.
On Sunday, Cuomo said he wants to attend when the Bills host a playoff game next month. Buffalo has clinched the AFC East Division title.
Besides testing, the plan submitted requires strict enforcement of masking and social distancing guidelines. Fans would need to provide contact information so tracing can be done after the game.
Some specifics, such as how many days before a game fans must get tested, still need to be worked out.
New York Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker and Budget Director Robert Mujica are evaluating the Bills submission.
Zucker said his biggest concern was gatherings such as pre-game tailgating, where fans congregate to eat and drink in stadium parking lots.
"That's how disease spreads," Zucker said. "So how do we control that? That is really the question. That's what we are working on as well."
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