Fully vaccinated NFL players no longer required to wear masks

Players and staff in the National Football League (NFL) who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 will no longer be required to wear masks at team facilities, the league said on Friday.

On Thursday, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said fully vaccinated Americans do not need to wear masks outdoors and can avoid wearing them indoors in most places.

People are considered "fully vaccinated" if fourteen days have passed since their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or their single dose of Johnson & Johnson vaccine, the NFL said.

"Effective immediately, fully vaccinated ... staff and players will not be required to wear masks anywhere in the club facility, either indoors or outdoors," the NFL said in a statement.

The league said that teams would still have to follow the local and state regulations even if those are more restrictive.

Additional changes to COVID-19 protocols were expected "consistent with CDC guidelines", it added.