The CDC (Centre for Disease Control and Prevention) made a major announcement stating that people who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 no longer need to wear masks indoors or outdoors in most settings. And NFL followed suit for their community ahead of the 2021 training camp.
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The NFL sent out a memo to all 32 teams regarding the new CDC guidelines. After months of following strict guidelines, the NFL has announced that masks are no longer required for fully vaccinated players and staff members. This is after the NFL is trying to do their part to help society get the vaccine.
NFL to adopt changes to their Covid-19 protocols
In April, the league announced fully vaccinated individuals would only be required to test on a weekly basis rather than daily and would not have to submit to “entry” testing following travel.
The updated protocols come after the CDC released their statement on Thursday
“Effective immediately, fully vaccinated Tiered staff and players will not be required to wear masks anywhere in the club facility, either indoors or outdoors,” the NFL memo read in part. “An individual is considered “fully vaccinated” if 14 days have passed since the individual received his or her last dose of COVID-19 vaccine (either the single dose of Johnson & Johnson or the second dose of Pfizer or Moderna).
Tiered staff and players who are not fully vaccinated (i.e. have not received any vaccine, or are within the 14-day period after receipt of the last dose of the vaccine) must continue to wear masks indoors and outdoors at the club facility as required on October 16, 2020, Club Facility Protocol unless and until they are fully vaccinated.”
However, the players and staff that aren’t vaccinated will have to continue to where masks at team facilities. The NFL also specified that teams can expect changes in the protocols if the CDC’s guidelines were to be modified.
Hopefully, as teams become more vaccinated, the NFL will be able to reduce the Covid-19 breakouts that took place in 2020.
