New 'Excelsior Pass' Tips Off For Madison Square Garden, Barclays

NEW YORK CITY — Sports fans now have a slam dunk way to show they're coronavirus negative before the next big game at Madison Square Garden or Barclays Center.

A state-issued "Excelsior Pass" offers a way for spectators at sporting events, theaters and other venues to show their COVID-19 status similar to a mobile airline boarding pass, officials said.

The pilot program launched Feb. 27 for a Brooklyn Nets game at Barclays Center, according to a release. Fans with the pass showed off a QR code that confirmed their negative COVID tests.

The pass will next be tested Tuesday for a New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden, a release states.

"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," Gov. Andrew 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.