ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (WKBW) — Bills fans are weighing in about the team mask policy, a day after the Buffalo Bills season opener at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park.
“There wasn’t even anyone walking around to see if anyone had masks on,” said Liz Wandersee.
“I felt like I was the only person wearing a mask,” said Andrew Brenner, who traveled from Washington, D.C. to attend the game. “I don’t know if I will feel comfortable returning to the stadium.
Brenner says he and his wife were at the game, and saw little to no compliance when it came to the team mask policy.
The team says all unvaccinated fans must wear a mask at all times, and everyone, regardless of vaccination status is required to wear a mask in the bathrooms and concourse and all indoor areas.
“I went in part because I trusted that there would be more enforcement,” Brenner said.
Fans say they didn’t see anyone get reprimanded or kicked out due to masking.
Photos shared with 7 Eyewitness News show little to no compliance in the concourse.
A law enforcement source tells 7 Eyewitness news it would be nearly impossible for police or security to enforce a mask mandate with a crowd of 75,000 fans.
Bills fan Scott McInnis agrees.
“It’s unenforceable you have 60-65 thousand people there who were not wearing a mask. There’s no way you can have enough personnel to police that.”
In fact, due to short staffing the Bills even asked fans to line up at the gates early to get in before kickoff.
We reached out to Erie County and a spokesperson says the Department of Health sanitarians were on site, and eight concession stands were cited for violating mask orders. It says one stand violated mask orders twice. We didn’t hear anything about the fans, and the Buffalo Bills did not respond to our request for comment.
Many fans say they would be in favor of a vaccine mandate or a proof of negative test to attend the game.
