Signs show information for a vaccination site run by the Santa Clara County Department of Health at Levi’s Stadium, home of the San Francisco 49ers NFL football team, in Santa Clara, California, February 9, 2021.
Brittany Hosea-Small | Reuters
The NFL still takes its strongest stance when it comes to the normal return of the pandemic.
The message? Get vaccinated.
In a memorandum obtained by CNBC, Commissioner Roger Goodell said: “In view of the extensive vaccine admission, it is now appropriate to take further steps to promote information on the availability and acceptance of vaccines in the NFL. . “
As part of the guideline, the league says that all employees other than players (called Tier 1 and Tier 2 employees) are expected to be vaccinated unless they have an underlying medical or religious reason for not doing so.
Level 1 employees include coaches and trainers, and Tier 2 employees include general managers, assistant coaches and employees in football activities. The memorandum states that any employee who refuses it without an approved reason may not have access to the area that is only ‘football’, and that they may not work directly or close to players.
Although there is currently no required vaccination for players, the memorandum instructs teams to report weekly the number of employees vaccinated. It says they are actively working with the NFLPA on a set of protocol changes that will apply to clubs when vaccination levels reach a certain threshold that will enable them to loosen protocols instituted due to the pandemic. This would mean that they could relax from relaxation restrictions to cafeterias and locker rooms.
The league also encourages teams to hold information sessions for players, families and staff to address their issues.
“Train your employees and communicate the benefits of vaccination to them,” the memo reads.
The NFL was also instrumental in getting the general public vaccinated. At its annual meeting, the NFL recently reported that more than 1.5 million doses were administered at club facilities. Tuesday’s memorandum encourages teams to continue using their stadiums or training facilities to vaccinate employees, players and their families through ‘vaccination days’ or something similar.
“The overwhelming consensus among experts in the medical and public health sectors is that the most effective way to avoid someone at risk of contracting Covid-19 – and the risk of infecting others – is to get vaccinated,” he concludes. memorandum of.