On the eve of the Super Bowl weekend, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell wrote to President Biden to tell him that each of the league’s 32 teams “will make their stadium available to the massive public vaccines in general “.
Leading the news: Goodell wrote in the letter, dated Thursday, that this can be done quickly “because many of our clubs have previously offered their facilities as COVID test centers and as polling stations in recent months.”
Why it’s important: This continues an NFL effort to use its unique footprint to help the U.S. recover from the pandemic.
- The fact that even a Super Bowl is being played in the midst of the pandemic reflects the NFL’s obstacle course success that once threatened to reduce or close the season.
- Surprisingly, the league played all 256 games of the regular season without cancellations, AP reports.
- The NFL is treating 7,500 vaccinated health care workers across the country to sites of the pandemic’s reduced crowd for Sunday’s game in Tampa.
Goodell’s letter says the NFL is “committed to doing our part to ensure that vaccines are as widely accessible as possible in our communities.”
- The clubs will make the stadiums available “in coordination with local, state and federal health officials.”
Read the full letter via DocumentCloud.