Madison Square Garden Fans Can Show New COVID-19 Entry Pass

MIDTOWN MANHATTAN, NY — Hockey fans who flock to Madison Square Garden to see the New York Rangers this week will be able to present a new state-sponsored pass to prove their required negative coronavirus test.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Tuesday that the "Excelsior Pass" will be tested Tuesday before the New York Rangers face off at home against the Buffalo Sabres.

The pass, developed in partnership with IBM, uses a confidential data transfer between venues and health care providers to prove a person's negative COVID-19 test or vaccination.

The pilot program testing the Excelsior Pass first launched Feb. 27 for a Brooklyn Nets game at Barclays Center.

"As we begin reopening the valves on different sectors of our economy, we are putting guidelines in place to ensure individuals attending events involving larger gatherings have tested negative for COVID or have been vaccinated to avoid an outbreak of the virus," Cuomo said in a statement.

"The Excelsior Pass will play a critical role in getting information to venues and sites in a secure and streamlined way, allowing us to fast-track the reopening of these businesses and getting us one step closer to reaching a new normal."

Cuomo has kept out of sight amid a growing sexual harassment scandal and touted the program only in a news release.

But the program is part of his State of the State pledge to reopen large events and venues through coronavirus testing. He later announced stadium and arena reopening guidelines that required spectators to receive a negative COVID-19 PCR test within 72 hours of an event.

The passes confirming test results can be printed out or stored on smartphones using the Excelsior Pass's "Wallet App," according to a release. Developers built in privacy protections that only show whether the pass is valid or not, officials said.

The pilot program will be used as the foundation for a future app submission to the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, according to a release.

Madison Square Garden reopened to fans for Feb. 23 Knicks game, the first in-person event there in nearly a year.

Patch reporter Matt Troutman contributed.