NFL chief doctor: Football can’t start on time without widespread coronavirus testing
The NFL is operating as if it will be good to go for the start 2020 season in September, despite the current COVID-19 pandemic.
But planning and hoping won’t make it so without widespread testing, per Dr. Allen Sills, the NFL’s chief medical officer.
Sills, who is spearheading the league’s response to the new coronavirus pandemic, told NFL.COM that widespread testing would have to be available before the re-opening of the league could be contemplated.
“I would say that’s everyone’s hope, that we are in a position to do that,” Sills said of the league’s focus on playing a full 16-game regular season. “But the reality is none of us know those facts for certain right now. We hope and pray for the best and prepare for the worst, realizing that is one potential outcome that we will be back fully in business playing games as normal in front of fans on schedule. But it’s certainly not the only outcome.
“And I think what was implied there was to say we are not at a point where we are saying that is absolutely not going to happen so we should continue our planning and preparations as if we’re going to be able to do that. But obviously we’re going to have to evaluate that along the way. And follow what the recommendations are from public health officials and from our infectious disease experts and others.”
If the NFL doesn’t return in September that means that college football would also not return and rest assured that the NBA, NHL and MLB seasons, which are on delay, could face the increased likelihood that those seasons would be canceled.
Sills says the widespread availability of point-of-care testing, which means a test could be administered and the results returned quickly, is essential before teams can report to their respective facilities.
Those tests are not currently available.
“As long as we’re still in a place where when a single individual tests positive for the virus that you have to quarantine every single person who was in contact with them in any shape, form or fashion, then I don’t think you can begin to think about reopening a team sport,” Sills said. “Because we’re going to have positive cases for a very long time.”
And that’s just regarding the players and the teams.
It is still too early to tell when the NFL or any other league would be comfortable with large groups of fans in the stands or whether games will resume without fans on the stands.
“We will make those decisions in consultation with our experts at the time,” Sills said. “That decision will not be made in isolation. The NFL will not be charting a course different than other professional sports, other parts of society — college sports, universities, businesses.”
“None of us can predict that,” Sills said. “We can look at various models and prepare for different scenarios. We’re just going to need more time before we know what the right thing to do is.”
As of now, Sills said there is no timeline for when a decision has to be made about whether the regular season could start on time.
