Football fans line up for rapid COVID-19 tests outside Commonwealth Stadium
Saturday’s Edmonton Elks game is the city’s first major event offering rapid COVID-19 testing at the door.
The team previously announced that starting in October fans would have to provide proof of double vaccination or a negative test result.
Those plans changed once the province’s restrictions exemption program was announced Wednesday evening. To be in line with the program, the Elks are asking everyone 12 years of age or older for proof of one dose of COVID-19 vaccine or a negative test result from within 48 hours of kickoff.
Tests are offered outside Commonwealth Stadium for $50.
“This is an opportunity for everyone to attend the game in a safe environment,” said Chris Presson, Elks CEO and president.
“People understand where we are as a country, as a province, and as a city,” Presson added. “Any time you open the paper and see 2,000 new cases is cause for concern. We want a safe environment and (Commonwealth Stadium) is a part of that.”
Individual tests take around five to six minutes for results. Many fans who came out early Saturday to receive theirs say the short wait and $50 price tag will be well worth it come game time.
“It’s a small price to pay to do the right thing and keep people safe,” one fan said.
“I don’t find it to be a problem,” another fan said. “I’ve seen people at my work pay $140 for the test, so I don’t have a problem with it.”
Presson said the testing site saw busy periods throughout Saturday afternoon.
No decision has been made on whether to continue the onsite rapid testing throughout the season. The Elks say that will depend on demand.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Britney Spears 'home and safe' after paramedics responded to an incident at the Chateau Marmont, source tells CNN
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.