Daily Times (Primos, PA)

Teams can reopen facilities Tuesday — with provisos

- By Barry Wilner

NFL teams can begin reopening their facilities on Tuesday if state and local government­s will allow it.

In a memo sent to the 32 teams Friday by Commission­er Roger Goodell and obtained by The Associated Press, he stressed that the clubs must be “in compliance with any additional public health requiremen­ts in their jurisdicti­on, and have implemente­d the protocols that were developed by (league medical officer) Dr. (Allen) Sills and distribute­d to all clubs on May 6.”

Facilities have been closed since late March due to the coronaviru­s pandemic.

Each team was required to submit a plan to the league for reopening its training/ practice facility this week.

“Clubs unable to meet these criteria on May 19 may reopen their facilities on the earliest date thereafter on which they are able to meet the criteria,” Goodell added.

Sills will conduct a training program for club infection control officers (ICO) on Monday that is required.

Already establishe­d in the openings were these protocols:

• Until further notice from the NFL, teams may have no more than 50% of their staff in the facility, not to exceed

75 people.

• No members of the coaching staff can return to the facility under the first phase of reopening. “This is important to ensure equity among all 32 clubs,” Goodell wrote.

• No players may be in the facility other than those undergoing medical treatment or rehab. Strength and conditioni­ng coaches participat­ing in player rehab may continue that work in the facility. Otherwise, they are barred until the rest of the coaching staff is allowed to return. • Members of the personnel, football operations/football administra­tion staff, equipment staff, medical staff, and nutritioni­sts can attend.

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