Titans and Vikings suspend operations amid NFL Covid outbreak

Three players and five staff members test positive for Covid-19

The Tennessee Titans have temporarily suspended in-person workouts, after three players and five staff members tested positive for Covid-19.

The Minnesota Vikings, who faced the Titans over the weekend, have also suspended team activities in accordance with the league’s coronavirus regulations, according to the NFL.

In a statement, the Titans said: “Out of the abundance of caution, the organization has decided to work remotely today as we follow NFL protocols related to the Covid-19 virus.

“Several tests have come back positive and [we] are working through the process of confirming them. We will have more information tomorrow.”

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell also released a statement, where he confirmed that the Titans’ positive results came back on Tuesday morning.

He said: “Both clubs are working closely with the NFL and the [NFL Players Association], including our infectious disease experts, to evaluate close contacts, perform additional testing and monitor developments.”

The Titans announced that its facilities will be closed until at least Saturday in response to the outbreak, while the Vikings will be doing the same for an unspecified amount of time this week, a source familiar with the situation told USA Today.

From 13 to 19 September, which is the most recent figures the NFL has released, the league recorded zero positive coronavirus tests results.

The Titans are scheduled to face the Pittsburgh Steelers at home on Sunday, in what would be the first fixture of its season to have fans in the stadium, with the attendance limited to a capacity of 10 per cent.

The Vikings are scheduled to travel to the Houston Texans on Sunday, but no decision has yet been made on whether either fixture will go ahead.

Mr Goodell added: “All decisions will be made with health and safety as our primary consideration. We will continue to share updates as more information becomes available.”

According to Johns Hopkins University some 7.1m people have now tested positive for coronavirus in the US and the death toll has reached 205,268.