SANTA CLARA — So far, so good.
With Covid cases in the NFL on the rise, including a record 143 players on the Reserve/Covid-19 list on Thursday, the 49ers have remained out of the spotlight. The club has not had a player test positive since training camp in August.
The league has increased protocols for players, coaches and staff members as well as requiring all Tier 1 & 2 staff to receive a booster shot by December 27. Players coaches and staff will be required to wear masks and conduct meetings via video conferencing or outside.
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Social distancing will be enforced, as well as prohibiting group meals, limiting the number of people allowed in weight rooms and restrictions on activities away from the facility.
Kyle Juszczyk spoke to local Bay Area media on Thursday and shared the frustration brought on by the heightening of restrictions. The feeling of “Here we go again” in the back of his mind.
“I’m cautious to say anything because I don’t know exactly what all the rules are yet,” Juszczyk said. “We haven’t been told everything, but I definitely think there is some frustration in the locker room especially because we’ve been clean this whole year. We haven’t even sniffed Covid here.”
The 49ers' last players to be placed on the list in August were Jaquiski Tartt, Emmanuel Moseley and Jauan Jennings. Since then, all but one player on the roster has been vaccinated. On Wednesday Kyle Shanahan said he was ready to get the booster saying, “As soon as someone brings a needle to me.”
San Francisco 49ers
Santa Clara has been very strict with Covid regulations since early 2020 and the 49ers were affected greatly by the county mandates. They spent the last several weeks of the 2020 season calling Arizona “home.”
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Being based in a geographic location where cases are low and amongst communities that have followed protocols since the start of the pandemic has likely helped the 49ers remain healthy and safe.
“We’ve been following all the rules that we’ve been given,” Juszczyk said. “It’s a little frustrating. Hate to see things going backward. I felt like we were moving in the right direction. I’ll stay positive and say hopefully these regulations just get more guys playing on Sunday. Hopefully, we get what we want out of it.”
Players and coaches that spoke to the media on Thursday all wore masks upon entering the auditorium to be interviewed by media.