BUFFALO, N.Y. (WBEN) - The Buffalo Bills will host at least one playoff game for the first time in decades in January. And a local pharmacist has an idea to allow fans inside Bills Stadium.
Don Arthur, owner of Brighton-Eggert Pharmacy, envisions a drive-thru testing site at the stadium. " We've been offering 15 minute rapid testing in Tonawanda. We're now doing one thousand tests per day. I was thinking, what if we could put that testing site on Bills property and work with Governor Cuomo and the Buffalo Bills."
Based on what's happening across the NFL, Arthur thinks that potentially 15-thousand fans could be allowed inside the stadium. "We would create a drive thru environment and we could test three or four thousand lucky lottery winners, (season ticket holders) each day, leading up to the game."
Results of the rapid testing would be back within 15 minutes. Each person would receive an email with their results and each fan going into the stadium would show their lottery playoff ticket, their negative test result and a form of identification.
Under the plan, Arthur said a season ticket holder would not be allowed to give the ticket away, or sell the ticket to anyone else.
Western New York is currently testing approximately 10-thousand people a day. Arthur said to ramp up and do 10-thousand tests the day before the Bills game would be difficult.
"There are 32 NFL teams. Eighteen have allowed fans in one form or another. None of them have had a testing requirement," said Arthur.
The pharmacist said every fan that tested negative would be instructed to self quarantine in the 72, 48 or 24 hours leading up to the game. "Let's do this and get past Covid," said Arthur.
There would be a cost for the testing. Brighton Eggert Pharmacy charges $65 for a test. But under Arthur's plan there would be a charity component.
"We are going to ask the test manufacturer to give a $10 per test discount with the money going to a Bills charity." He would also allow fans to match the amount or donate any amount they want for the charity.
"It's the first playoff game in 25 years. I keep thinking about what it would mean
to the community, Bills Mafia, even Bills players to have a presence of fans in the stadium, even a small presence," said Arthur.
