The NFL and NFLPA have agreed to extend daily COVID-19 testing of players through September 5, but it isn’t because of the number of positive tests to this point in training camp.
The NFL sent a letter to teams on Wednesday announcing the agreement on continued testing. The initial agreement was for testing to move to every other day if the positive rate was below five percent, but the league said they have extended the daily testing despite a number far below that mark.
“Although the rate of positive tests for all player and Tier 1 and Tier 2 personnel across the league during this period is below one percent (and no individual club rate is greater than two percent) the parties, following consultation with their respective medical experts, have elected to continue to require daily testing of all players and Tier 1 and Tier 2 personnel until further notice,” the letter said.
The letter also notes that the trailers set up for testing players and team personnel have been used by others outside those groups. While that it is not prohibited, the letter says it is “strongly discouraged” and teams are asked to discontinue the practice.
