NFL examining draft plans as coronavirus spreads

The NFL is mulling plans for multiple upcoming league events, including the draft in Las Vegas at the end of April, as the coronavirus continues to spread.

"The league office, the (NFL) Players Association, and the city and the state are working together," Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis told the Dallas Morning News' Michael Gehlken. "They're making a measured decision. Health and safety will always be No. 1."

The league was expected to take over the Las Vegas strip in celebration of the draft, one of the signature events on the NFL calendar. The draft, which attracts thousands of fans and dozens of league and team personnel, is scheduled to take place April 23-25.

A new plan hasn't been formally developed, but league officials are monitoring developments in the coronavirus, which has become more prevalent in the United States by the day.

"They'll make the correct decision," said Davis. "They won't put anyone in jeopardy over it."

Before the draft is the annual owners' meetings, scheduled to take place in Palm Beach, Florida, from March 29-April 1.

The sports world has already felt the impact of the coronavirus, with the NBA recently suspending its season following a positive test for a player on the Utah Jazz.

The contagious virus, which produces the COVID-19 disease, emanated in China.

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