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The NFL has released a major announcement about unvaccinated players.
The league has finally eliminated the distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated players. This means players who are unvaccinated will no longer be subject to daily testing.
The NFL has also shortened the quarantine period for all players regardless of vaccination status.
The NFL has stopped testing of unvaccinated players
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While there is no longer daily testing, all players and tiered staff will be subject to: Enhanced symptom screening, symptom-based testing and targeted surveillance testing.
All the unvaccinated players on playoff teams still playing, only about a dozen haven’t had the coronavirus yet.
Tom Pelissero of NFL Network provided the information regarding the changes:
“The NFL just sent a memo to the remaining playoff clubs with a significant update to COVID testing cadence—eliminating the distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated players, who will no longer be subject to daily testing, per sources.
“The change is based on info gathered the past month on the Omicron variant and was approved by the NFLPA. All players and tiered staff will be subject to enhanced symptom screening, symptom-based testing and targeted surveillance testing.
“NFL and NFLPA medical experts are seeing the Omicron wave receding, targeted testing is working and no complications with new five-day return rule. Also, they’re not seeing unvaccinated people shedding virus longer as with previous variants. So all sides comfortable with this shift.”
From Bleacher Report:
“So this change affects a small number of people,” Pelissero said to provide context. “In short: Sick people still get tested. Healthy people don’t.”
The NFL and NFLPA previously agreed to changes to the COVID policy on December 28. Of note, the isolation period following a positive test for asymptomatic individuals was cut from 10 to five days, regardless of vaccination statuses.
