COVID Outbreak Hits 49ers: Multiple Players and Staff Test Positive, Games Postponed

COVID Outbreak Hits 49ers: Multiple Players and Staff Test Positive, Games Postponed

 

As the NFL approaches the 2021 season, the league has told clubs it will not extend the season due to an outbreak of COVID-19 in unvaccinated players causing games to be canceled.NFL Network and#039; Tom Pelissero announced Thursday that the NFL sent a memo to its clubs saying that if a game cannot be rescheduled within 18 weeks because of an outbreak of COVID-19 among unvaccinated players, the team will lose the outbreak and compensate for the damage caused by the situation according to the reported sources.

In addition, players from both teams will not be compensated for the lost competition, and the team responsible for losing the game due to unvaccinated players will cover the financial loss and possible disciplinary action from the commissioner’s office.Last year, the NFL bent over backwards to adjust the schedule on the fly when blowouts occurred.

Missed zero games over 17 weeks.In 2021, the NFL plans to play 272 games over 18 weeks.andquot;We do not add and#039;19. working day#039; to count games that cannot be rescheduled during the current 18 weeks of the regular season, andquot; the note mentioned in the highlighted section.Itand#039; is the NFL’s clearest line yet and the most important incentive yet for owners, teams and coaches to push players to get vaccinated.

The league has emphasized that it does not require vaccinations, but the restrictions on unvaccinated players and potential penalties for teams make the NFL’s position crystal clear.on Thursday and the note has it underlined in green. Money is green.”If a game is cancelled/postponed because a club cannot play due to an increase in Covid among its unvaccinated players/staff or unvaccinated players/staff, the cancellation or postponement responsibility rests with the club infected with Covid, andquot; the memorandum states. andquot;We try to minimize the burden on the opposing club or clubs.

If a club cannot play due to the increase in Covid vaccinations, we will try to minimize the competitive and financial burden on both participating teams.”It is the clearest language the league has used to mark the difference between vaccinated and unvaccinated outbreaks.

 

NFL Network’s Judy Battista and #039; reported that vaccine progress increased as players began reporting for camp. More than 78 percent of players in the league have at least one vaccine and 14 clubs have at least 85 percent of players vaccinated. Pelissero said all 32 teams have at least 50 percent vaccination coverage.andquot;Weand#039;m happy with these numbers, but weand#039;not. We want them to keep rising, andquot; Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer, spoke with Battista on Thursday and on NFL NOW. andquot;Certainly these numbers are clearly higher than the rest of society and certainly above the same age group as most of our players. So a great start, more work to do.andquot;According to Thursday’s memo, vaccinated players or employees who test positive and are asymptomatic can return to work after two negative tests every 24 hours.

For unvaccinated individuals who test positive, the 2020 protocols requiring 10 days of isolation remain in place.Basically, the NFL is telling its clubs to increase efforts to convince players to get vaccinated. Otherwise, when an epidemic breaks out, the burden of risk falls on the team.Pelissero sent an NFLPA email to players Thursday night reminding clubs that the same ground rules andquot; was also the case last year, suggesting that in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak, players would not be paid for games and that all previously agreed common protocols would remain in place if followed, as demonstrated by the 2020 season.

 

The NFLPA found one minor difference between the NFL’s decision to impose additional penalties on teams responsible for the outbreak if the disease occurs and the availability of vaccines..