The NFL and the players' association are reportedly issuing new virus safety protocols as teams begin gearing up for mini camps, and, later, summer camp.
The new guidelines strongly incentivizes full vaccination for players, coaches and staffers, including the dropping of daily testing and mask mandates, as well as the easing of travel restrictions and quarantine rules in the case of suspected exposure, among others, according to Lindsay Jones of The Athletic.
Those who are not fully vaccinated will be subject to similar strict measures that were put in place last season, the first ever held in pandemic conditions. Daily testing, mask requirements, spacing rules and quarantine protocols will remain in place for those who have not been inoculated, the report said.
The updated guidance is meant to include "lifestyle incentives" as well as competitive advantages for teams with higher vaccination rates, Jones added.
The changes come as virus rates in the US have continued to steadily decline since mid-April, to their lowest point -- about 21,000 new cases reported on Tuesday -- since about a year ago at this time. Meanwhile the rate of adults with at least one jab of the vaccine was creeping up toward two-thirds of the population, at about 62%. Both figures were reported by the Centers for Disease Control on Wednesday.
Commissioner Roger Goodell told reporters on a Wednesday conference call that the league's virus rate was at somewhere around .04%, down by about half from a rate of .08% during the regular season.
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