NFL lays out protocols to be in place by May 15 for club facilities to reopen

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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell issued a memo to all 32 teams on Wednesday laying out protocols that must be in place by May 15 in anticipation of being advised when team facilities will reopen.

In the first phase of reopening, only a limited number of non-playing personnel will be allowed in facilities on any given day. No players will be permitted on the premises unless they're continuing therapy or rehab that had already begun before facilities closed in March.

The league is still working on the next phase of reopening, which would involve a larger number of staff and players.

When facilities do reopen, employees and visitors will be encouraged to keep more than six feet of distance between them, wear a mask unless they're alone in an enclosed office, and take their temperature with a no-touch thermometer, reads the memo that Ben Volin of the Boston Globe obtained. Normal temperature shouldn't exceed 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

Facilities may be reopened when the following criteria are met:

• Local and state government officials consent to reopening
• Club has implemented all of the operational guidelines listed in the memo to minimize the risk of virus transmission among employees
• Club has acquired adequate amount of needed supplies
• Club has created an infection response team, which has a written plan for newly diagnosed cases
• Club has designated an infection control officer who will oversee all aspects of the implementation of the listed guidelines
• Each employee who returns to work must receive COVID-19 safety and hygiene training prior to using the facility and agree to report health information to the infection control officer
• Initially, clubs may permit up to 50% of non-playing employees (to a total of 75 people) into the facility, providing that allows the implementation of these protocols with respect to screening, distancing, cleaning, and sanitation, and personal protective equipment is used.
• No players may use the facility except for those who are continuing a course of therapy or rehabilitation that was underway when the facilities were closed in March

"We will continue to work in a deliberate and thoughtful way to plan for the 2020 season, including with tomorrow's schedule release, and we will be prepared to address any contingencies as they arise," Goodell wrote.