NFL And NFLPA Agree To Conduct Daily Tests Amid 0.46% Positivity Rate

The NFL seems to have a handle on the spread of COVID-19 at summer training camps, but the league isn't letting down its guard heading into the fall season.

The NFL Players Union (NFLPA) and the league agreed Wednesday to conduct daily COVID-19 tests in an effort to continue taking the necessary precautions regarding the coronavirus global pandemic.

“Our goal is all the same: to have the safest possible environment for everyone,” NFL’s Chief Medical Officer Allen Sills said by way of Reuters. “We want to try to ensure that there’s no one - player, coach, staff member, official, anyone - who steps onto a field with an active COVID infection.

So far, so good. Of the 109,075 tests given so far to players, coaches and staff, the results yielded a 0.46% positivity rate. That number is a sign of optimism for the NFL, which previously tested 9,983 people for a 1.7% positivity rate.

"The intake numbers, we were pleasantly surprised at how few positive tests we had," Sills added.

The league, which also committed to continuing its new social-distancing protocol, initially agreed with the NFPLA to decrease testing to every other day if the results came up less than 5%.

But as a precautionary measure in this uncertain time, there was a mutual decision to conduct daily testing until Sept. 5, per ESPN. The season is scheduled to kick off Sept. 10.

Players have already returned to their training camps, making it a little more difficult to follow social distancing protocol. Regardless, the league has been making a conscious effort to maintain their low positivity rate.

"And since then, that positivity rate ... reflects that our players, staff and coaches have done a terrific job of staying uninfected," Sills concluded.

To add to this, the players would also want to be constantly informed with complete and accurate data in these unprecedented times.

"We will continue to monitor positivity rates within each club and relevant information from each team community to inform our assessment of testing frequency ahead of the regular season," the NFLPA tweeted.