03.10.2020
12:08
In the NFL, cases of the SARS-CoV-2 virus have sown uncertainty as to whether the season can continue on a regular basis.
October 3, 2020 Share on FacebookShare Share on TwitterTweet Share on WhatsAppShare
(Photo: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
COVID-19 infections in the NFL continue to rise and have now impacted the New England Patriots , one of the most popular teams in the league, as Cam Newton , their quarterback, tested positive for the disease , from according to information from ESPN reporter Adam Schefter.
Therefore, Newton will miss this Sunday’s game against the Kansas City Chiefs , who are shaping up to remain at the top of the league that began after the most critical period of the COVID-19 pandemic , despite of the uncertainties that the disease has caused in the tournament.
Through its Twitter account, the team reported a player infected with the virus among its ranks , but did not confirm the identity of the person . However, he did detail that after learning of this fact, the player was placed in voluntary quarantine and tests were carried out among his teammates, coaches and members of the staff, who were all negative .
With the increase in positive cases of the disease, the NFL and the league’s players’ union agreed on October 2 to maintain daily testing for COVID-19 , except on game days until further notice.
(Photo: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports)
The NFL also announced to teams that daily testing will be mandatory for players and coaches during the corresponding bye weeks, to help mitigate the spread of the coronavirus .
That means both players and coaches will have to stay close during the off week , according to the memo sent to all 32 teams on Friday and of which The Associated Press obtained a copy.
The Tennessee Titans are the first NFL team to have an outbreak during the season, with 14 positive cases among players and staff in a seven-day period . It is worth mentioning that this team postponed its meeting against the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday.
The league’s infectious disease experts have helped the Titans and Vikings – their rival last Sunday – track down everyone who came in contact with those who tested positive , including six staff members. The Vikings , for their part, did not register positive cases and reopened their facilities on Thursday , before their duel Sunday in Houston.
The Tennessee Titans suspended their game Sunday, due to recent COVID-19 cases in their ranks. (Photo: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports)
In this sense, coach Mike Vrabel said he was confident that the Titans have respected the league’s protocols and considered that no one is guilty of an outbreak in the middle of a pandemic .
“We will continue to comply with the protocols that the NFL established and that continues to undergo changes, adaptations and adjustments,” Vrabel detailed Thursday. “Whatever the NFL tells us to do and we’re supposed to do when positive cases come in, that’s what we’ll do.”
On October 2, the NFL reminded teams that the agreement reached in August with the players’ union includes a fine of USD 50,000 for those who do not take a test for the first time and a suspension of a game without the right to salary in case they miss the test a second time . Avoiding subsequent tests will result in more severe penalties .
They also pointed out that any player or coach who does not appear for a daily test without prior approval during the corresponding bye week must show five negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) diagnostic tests with a difference of 24 hours from each other before receiving authorization to return to the equipment facilities .
With information from AP
