Frontline healthcare workers are “true American heroes,“ NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a Wednesday call with reporters, adding that he hopes to invite vaccinated employees of Florida hospitals to the Super Bowl LV., both to honor them and to promote vaccinations.
“As we all know, these frontline workers are the true American heroes, and we owe them our ongoing gratitude,” Goodell said. “We also know that we need to rely on them for months to come to distribute vaccines and continue to treat all of those that are ill from Covid and other illnesses.”
The idea still needs healthcare authorities’ approval.
Wednesday’s meeting with team owners mainly focused on coronavirus. Goodell praised the league for its Covid-19 protocols and highlighted that positive coronavirus test results within the NFL declined by roughly half in consecutive weeks.
It’s proof the protocols implemented by the league are working, he said.
Largely praised for its stringent pandemic protocols, the NFL is about midway through its quest to become the nation’s first major sport to play a full and mostly uninterrupted season during the health crisis. Some 187 players and 328 personnel tested positive for Covid-19 from August 1 through December 12.