Coronavirus: NFL Draft to take place as scheduled in April, no fans present in Las Vegas
- While the NFL 2020 Draft will go ahead as planned between April 23-25, there will be no public events staged in Las Vegas.
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The 2020 NFL Draft will take place as planned in April, though there will no public events held in Las Vegas due to the coronavirus pandemic.
A statement released by the league revealed the decision was made following guidance from medical experts such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and in conjunction with authorities in Nevada.
The draft, which will run from April 23 until 25, will still be televised, though, while the NFL are looking into "innovative options" for how the process will be conducted.
"This decision reflects our foremost priority - the health and safety of all fans and citizens," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said.
"While this outcome is disappointing both to the NFL and to the Las Vegas community, we look forward to partnering with the Raiders, the city of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for a future NFL Draft as well as evaluating opportunities for other major NFL events in Las Vegas in the future, including the Super Bowl."
The CDC recommended on Sunday that gatherings of 50 people or more in the United States should be cancelled or postponed for the next two months.
Las Vegas was selected to host the draft ahead of the Raiders' first season in the city since relocating from Oakland.
The Cincinnati Bengals will have the first overall pick.
Published 16 Mar 2020, 23:44 ISTUpdate on the 2020 NFL Draft pic.twitter.com/zeibQdPgWu
— NFL (@NFL) March 16, 2020