Santa Clara County official: ‘We don’t know what future holds’ for start of 49ers season
The NFL has not yet made major adjustments to its offseason schedule, but it remains to be seen if the COVID-19 pandemic will force the league to push back its start date while Santa Clara officials are working to control the spread of the coronavirus.
Santa Clara, of course, is home to the 49ers’ headquarters and Levi’s Stadium, which has been closed for the past month because of the outbreak.
There is no concrete answer as to when it will reopen, or if the NFL season will start on time. The league is expected to announce its schedule in early May, weeks later than the typical mid-April release before the NFL draft.
Santa Clara county executive officer Dr. Jeffrey Smith told the county’s Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Times, it was unlikely there would be “any sports games until at least Thanksgiving, and we’d be lucky to have them by Thanksgiving. This is not something that’s going to be easy to do.”
The board’s president, Cindy Chavez, was reached by The Bee on Thursday and said it was uncertain whether the 49ers will start the season on time or face a modified schedule.
“I think people are going to speculate,” Chavez said. “But here’s the things that I’m sure of. I’m sure we don’t know yet what the future holds. And it’s in our hands. We have the ability to get the country moving again.”
Chavez mentioned the importance of everyone across the country abiding by shelter-in-place orders and social distancing mandates, along with regularly washing hands for 20 seconds while avoiding touching one’s face.
“If we do what we’re being asked to do by the health professionals, we’re going to be back at it much sooner than we will if we don’t,” Chavez said.
Santa Clara County was once deemed the epicenter of COVID-19 in California while it led the state in reported cases during the initial weeks of the outbreak.
But recent studies indicate the shelter-in-place orders have worked to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Officials have said it’s likely the county will have between 2,500 to 12,000 cases by May 1.
The 49ers said in a statement Thursday the team is working with elected officials and the NFL to monitor coronavirus safety.
“While there is much debate regarding the appropriate time for the return of sports, our intent is to exercise great patience and make the most informed decisions regarding the health and wellness of all San Francisco 49ers and Levi’s Stadium employees, patrons and the community at large,” the team said.
Meanwhile, the NFL started its 2020 league year last month on time while the NBA, NHL and Major League Baseball suspended their seasons indefinitely. The three-day draft beginning April 23 will be held virtually as the large public event scheduled for the Las Vegas strip has been canceled.
League executive Jeff Pash told reporters on a conference call last week the NFL is preparing to start its season on time.
“Our planning, our expectation, is fully directed at playing a full season starting on schedule and having a full regular season and a full set of playoffs,” Pash said this week, according to NFL Media. “Am I certain? I’m not certain that I’ll be here tomorrow. But I’m planning on it.”
However, the league’s chief medical officer, Dr. Allan Sills, wouldn’t commit to the NFL running on its normal schedule with Week 1 originally slated for the weekend after Labor Day and training camps across the league opening in late July.
“As long as we’re still in a place where when a single individual tests positive for the virus that you have to quarantine every single person who was in contact with them in any shape, form or fashion, then I don’t think you can begin to think about reopening a team sport,” Sills said, according to NFL Media. “Because we’re going to have positive cases for a very long time.”
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 1:23 PM.