Barclays Fans 1st To Use Coronavirus-Status Pass To Get Into Game

BROOKLYN, NY — Fans who went to a Brooklyn Nets game at the Barclays Center last week were the first to use a new mobile technology that will help New York reopen event venues amid the coronavirus crisis, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.

The Feb. 27 game was the first test for a state-issued "Excelsior Pass" that, either printed out or on a phone, will confirm a spectator's vaccination status or recent negative COVID-19 test as they enter a venue.

The state plans to test the pilot program again on Tuesday at a New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden.

"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."

The Excelsior Pass at the Barclays Center came just a few days after it reopened to fans for the first time in nearly a year.

The Brooklyn stadium's plan to spread 300 fans throughout its 19,000-seat arena was the first to be approved by the state's health department under reopening guidelines. Under state rules, sport and event venues with capacity for more than 100,000 people are now allowed to welcome back as much as 10 percent capacity.

The Excelsior Pass, similar to an airline boarding pass, lets fans show a QR code that confirms their negative COVID status.

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.