With six NFL teams having COVID-related fan rules, Vikings continue to monitor the situation
Sep. 25—With COVID-19 cases rising throughout the country, a half-dozen NFL teams are requiring fans who attend games to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test. The Vikings do not have similar requirements at U.S. Bank Stadium, but they are continuing to monitor the situation.
Teams that have put in fan restrictions include Las Vegas, New Orleans, Seattle, Buffalo and the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, who share a stadium. Those teams are following local health rules.
"We've considered any number of options throughout the offseason, and we've done extensive prep work with ASM (Global), our stadium operator, with the league, with the other teams (with restrictions)," said chief operating officer Andrew Miller, whose Vikings play their regular-season home opener Sunday against Seattle.
"We've had people review the Las Vegas operations, we've been working with CLEAR (Health Pass), which is the Raiders' partner, and we want to be prepared. We want to make sure that if we do end up in a situation where we are required to ask for vaccination status or have a negative COVID test that we have a system that's ready to go."
The Vikings have been dealing with medical experts and government agencies, and Miller said that "as the COVID continues to evolve" they will continue to "follow the guidelines of the city and the state."
After having no fans at games last season due to the pandemic, the Vikings had two home preseason games last month with fans, although the stadium was only about half full. A full house is expected on Sunday.
Miller said the Vikings are continuing to encourage fans at games to wear masks, although there is no requirement in place. He said there is an air purification system that was in place at U.S. Bank Stadium before the pandemic that works well "as it relates to COVID." And he said there has been a new feature added to the stadium this year to protect against the spread of the coronavirus.
"We've worked with 3M to use their (clear) protective film in some high-touch areas of the stadium," Miller said. "That's something that 3M has installed in different places within the stadium, and it's protecting of those microbes."
