NFL issues facilities closure for Monday, Tuesday

The NFL is taking drastic steps to try to halt the impact of COVID-19 on its already battered schedule.

According to a league-wide memo distributed Friday, all team facilities will be closed to in-person activities on Monday and Tuesday, ESPN and NFL.com reported.

The facility lockout does not apply to teams scheduled to play on either Monday or Tuesday, and the Sunday slate is also unaffected.

Citing a spike in COVID-19 cases across the nation, and the possibility of an influx of exposure resulting from the holiday weekend, the NFL is trying to stop more issues from arising. Both NFL.com and ESPN reported that the NFL is taking the step "understanding that a number of players and staff celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with out-of-town guests" as a reason for the closure.

The Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams, Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals were among the teams that saw a rise in COVID-19-related issues Friday, according to NFL.com.

The NFL Players Association also told players to let teams know if they had guests in for the holiday for the purpose of additional testing when facilities reopen.

All team activities will be conducted in a virtual environment Monday and Tuesday except for medical treatment and rehab.

COVID-19 issues forced the Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers game, originally set for Thanksgiving but pushed back to Sunday, to be rescheduled another time. The teams are now due to meet Tuesday.

--Field Level Media