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Chiefs, Redskins And More NFL Teams Suspend Travel Amid Coronavirus Concerns

(REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

Katie Jerkovich Entertainment Reporter
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Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins and more NFL Teams announced Thursday the suspension of pre-draft travel amid coronavirus concerns.

“The health and safety of our players, coaches, and staff is our top priority,” a message on the Chief’s Instagram read. “While we have had no positive cases of coronavirus, we believe it is best to take preemptive action out of an abundance of caution and for the safety of our employees and our community.”(RELATED: REPORT: Coachella Potentially Rescheduled To October Due To Coronavirus Fears)

 

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“All non-essential Chiefs personnel have been instructed to work remotely for a minimum of 14 days beginning Monday, March 16,” it added. “Additionally, we have suspended business travel and all non-essential travel for our coaches and scouts for the time being as we continue to monitor the impact of COVID-19.”(RELATED: Pearl Jam Postpones North American Tour Over Growing Coronavirus Concerns)

The Washington Redskins shared a similar message that, “Due to health and travel concerns surrounding COVID-19 #Redskins have informed all coaches and scouts to suspend all travel until further notice. The health and safety of our staff and players is our number one priority and we feel that these are the necessary precautions given the current circumstances.” (RELATED: Here Are The Members Of Congress Self-Quarantining After Meeting Person With Coronavirus At CPAC)

Not long after, a handful of other teams with the National Football League followed suit and canceled pre-draft travel for their scouts and coaches over concern of COVID-19, according to NFL.com. The list includes the Atlanta Falcons, Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Los Angeles Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Ian Rapoport with the NFL Network has since tweeted the Philadelphia Eagles have closed their facilities starting Friday. And the New York Jets have suspended travel for the foreseeable future.

The Denver Broncos and Houston Texans have instructed their staff to work from home.

And the NFL’s Annual League Meeting, that was scheduled to take place March 29-April 1, has been canceled.