NFL Postpones Three Games Amid Coronavirus Surge

The National Football League on Friday said it would postpone three games this weekend due to a spike in Covid-19 cases among players and as a new variant of the omicron virus infiltrates the United States.

The NFL move, the first postponement of professional football games this season, comes as the National Hockey League said it would postpone multiple teams for the same reason, and days after the NBA postponed two Chicago games. Bulls due to Covid Outbreak affecting 10 players.

More than 100 NFL players are reported to have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past week.

The Cleveland Raiders-Browns game, originally scheduled for Saturday, will be played on Monday afternoon. Two games that have been scheduled for Sunday – Seahawks vs. Rams and Washington Football Team vs. Philadelphia Eagles – will be played on Tuesday night.

“We made these changes to the schedule based on the doctor’s recommendations and after discussion with [National Football League Players Association] as we are seeing a new, highly transmissible form of the virus this week, which has led to a significant increase in the number of cases in the league, ”the NFL said in a statement.

“We continue to make decisions in consultation with medical experts to ensure the health and safety of the NFL community,” the league said.

On Thursday, the NFL updated its protocols regarding the coronavirus, stating that “the changes we are making today are aimed at addressing the increasing number of cases and the emergence of the Omicron variant.”

The League said that all clubs will be required to immediately “take preventive measures that have proven effective: camouflage regardless of vaccination status, remote or mobile meetings, refusing to eat in person, and avoiding strangers on team trips.”

And the NFL has adjusted its “return-to-participation requirements for those who have recovered from COVID-19.”

On Friday, the NHL said it is extending the reschedule period for the Calgary Flames due to the team’s previously scheduled game against the Seattle Kraken next Thursday.

The hockey league also said it is postponing the Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers games due to the end of the NHL holiday break on December 26.

The Flames will have six games on hold, the Avalanche will have four games and the Panthers will have three games.