BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) – Starting September 25, Erie County and Pegula Sports and Entertainment are mandating a COVID-19 vaccine in order to attend any Buffalo Bills or Buffalo Sabres home games or any other events at Highmark Stadium and KeyBank Center.
Starting October 31, anyone looking to attend any event at either venue must be fully vaccinated.
Fans will not have the option to test negative for COVID-19 in order to attend an event.
"There will be no exceptions," Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz said in detailing the plans. "This is a mutual decision.”
Any fan under 12 will not be required to have received a COVID-19 vaccination but will be required to wear a mask at all times while at Highmark Stadium or KeyBank Center. Vaccinated fans will not have to wear a mask anywhere at either venue.
The mandate comes less than 48 hours after the Bills home opener. Despite a policy that required fans to wear a mask along the concourse, most fans did not, though there was little to no enforcement of the rules.
Poloncarz said, though, that the conduct of fans at Sunday’s game was not a factor into the new mandate.
“Discussions with regards to going to vaccinated-only started before the first regular season game,” Poloncarz said. “While it may have been my preference to institute something like this before the first home game, we understood that the logistical issues made it nearly impossible. We decided it would be best to announce it today, effective for the second home game the Bills are playing against Washington.”
To prove COVID-19 vaccine status, all fans will need to display their actual vaccine card, their vaccine via NYS Excelsior Pass, the Clear Digital Vaccine Card, or any other government digital vaccine proof from outside New York. You cannot take a photo of your vaccine card to gain entry.
“I thank the Pegulas for embracing this and I thank them for working with us to ensure as we go forward we have a safe location for all and that there’s no question that when the fans are screaming at Highmark Stadium, these people have been vaccinated,” Poloncarz said.
Poloncarz previously announced a vaccine mandate for Bills games but back-tracked on the policy once cases and hospitalizations plummeted in the early summer. Erie County last Friday saw the highest number of new cases since April. During the week of August 27, there were more deaths in the county than there were during the entire month of July and equal to June.
Erie County will be hosting COVID-19 vaccine clinics every Wednesday at Highmark Stadium beginning September 22. The clinics will run from 12-8 p.m. through October. There will also be a clinic at KeyBank Center next Monday from 2-8 p.m. and other future clinic dates. Poloncarz said vaccines will not be administered at Bills games because there is a concern about a fan’s ability to consent if they have been drinking prior to the game.