Atlanta Falcons become first NFL team fully vaccinated against Covid

‘The Falcons reached a 92-percent vaccination rate on July 23, and now have every player on the roster protected against COVID-19,’ team statement reads

The Atlanta Falcons have become the first NFL team to publicly declare all players are vaccinated against Covid-19.

Due to their vaccine status, players can stop doing daily testing, wearing masks and going into self-isolation after coming into close contact with a positive case.

“The Falcons reached a 92-percent vaccination rate on July 23, and now have every player on the roster protected against COVID-19. Each player will now enjoy the benefits of being able to work out and eat together,” a statement on the team’s website reads.

The news, first reported by WSB-TV, came almost a month after NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said teams would be compelled to forfeit games if they were unable to play due to Covid outbreaks and that they would not be paid for games missed due to unvaccinated players.

“As we learned last year, we can play a full season if we maintain a firm commitment to adhering to our health and safety protocols and to making needed adjustments in response to changing conditions,” he said in the memo.

According to NBC Sports, all 32 NFL teams have a vaccination rate of over 75 per cent and 15 are at 95 per cent. Since the last survey on 11 August, 97.1 per cent players had received at least one vaccine.

According to data, the state of Georgia has fully vaccinated 39 per cent of people, one of the lowest rates in the country.

Currently, the state is experiencing rises of over 5,700 cases per day. In response, Governor Brian Kemp has vowed to provide $125 million in funding to support swamped hospitals.

The Independent reached out to the Atlanta Falcons for comment.