The 49ers had a hurdle to clear with local officials before they could begin training camp in their team facility, which has been shuttered since shutdowns to slow the spread of Covid-19 began in March. They were finally granted permission to hold camp at the facility after local officials reviewed the team’s safety protocols per Matt Barrows of the Athletic. His report was confirmed by multiple others.
Matt Maiocco of NBC Sports Bay Area noted on Twitter that “some local officials believe the example of players wearing masks can have positive impact on the community.” Masks will be required as part of the 49ers’ health and safety protocols.
News of the agreement between the 49ers and Santa Clara County came down less than 24 hours before the first players are set to report to camp for mandatory Covid-19 testing. Rookies, quarterbacks and injured players will report Thursday, July 23 — two days after the date set out by the NFL in July. The team will get back on the NFL’s calendar on the 28th when the rest of the club reports.
Testing will take place every day for two weeks, and then will be scaled back if positive test rates are below five percent. Barring any major setbacks during testing, the team is expected to begin its training camp program in early August.
While the club did receive approval to begin training camp at the facility — neither the county nor the state have given any indication that fans will be allowed at Levi’s Stadium this season. The team is keeping its options open, telling season ticket holders via email that no decision has been made on fan attendance in 2020.
The good news for the 49ers is they’ll be able to conduct camp along with the rest of the league, which should give them ample time to prepare for their regular-season opener on Sept. 13.
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