Steelers coach Mike Tomlin tested positive for COVID-19 last week

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin and others members of the organization tested positive for COVID-19 last week, sources told the Post-Gazette.

The Post-Gazette reported last week Steelers coaches and other members of the organization were sent home last Wednesday after some positive cases among members of the organization surfaced.

Since the end of the season, the coaches and some scouts had returned to working at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex on the South Side, but this COVID outbreak won’t affect day-to-day business. The Steelers are used to working with strict COVID protocols after the 2020 season.

For much of last season, the Steelers and the rest of the NFL worked in an intensive protocol that restricted access to team facilities. For the second half of last season the only time the players and coaches were inside the facility was for practice, and their time there was limited. Meetings between coaches and players were done via Zoom and scouts worked from home for most of the year.

The most pressing matters the Steelers are facing at the moment are working through player contracts, the upcoming free agency period and the draft. Most players on the offseason roster have scattered across the country to train for next season.

The Steelers were expected to meet with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last week to discuss his future, but that meeting did not take place as scheduled.

— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

N.J., Ohio set plans for fans

(AP) — Fans will be allowed to attend sports and entertainment events at New Jersey’s largest facilities in limited numbers starting next week, Gov. Phil Murphy said Monday.

New Jersey venues with an indoor seating capacity of 5,000 or more will be allowed to have 10% of those seats occupied by fans starting on March 1, the Democratic governor said on the WFAN sports radio station.

For outdoor venues with over 5,000 seats, the number will be 15% of capacity.

Murphy said he decided to allow the limited in-person attendance after reviewing a vast array of coronavirus-related statistics, including hospitalizations, the number of hospital admissions versus discharges, overall positivity rate for COVID-19 and the rate of transmission, and determining that small crowds can be permitted safely.

He said face coverings and social distancing will be required at these venues.

“If you buy tickets together, you can sit together, but otherwise, we have to spread apart,” he said.

The order applies to the state’s major arenas, including the Prudential Center in Newark, where the NHL’s New Jersey Devils play, and outdoor stadiums, including MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, home to the NFL’s New York Giants and Jets.

The governor said about 1,700 to 1,800 fans should be allowed to attend Devils hockey games under the new rules.

Meanwhile in Ohio, the Cleveland Indians could have as many as 10,000 fans at home games in Progressive Field this season after Ohio. Gov. Mike DeWine said it’s likely professional sports teams could accommodate up to 30% capacity at their venues this spring.

The Cincinnati Reds and Columbus Crew would also be affected.

The Indians were not allowed to have fans last season due to the pandemic, and the loss of revenue for ticket sales, parking and concessions dealt the club an economic blow. The team’s downtown ballpark holds over 35,000.

The Indians have been working with Major League Baseball and the Cleveland Clinic to develop a safety plan to welcome back fans.

The Cleveland Browns and Cavaliers have been permitted to have a limited number of fans at games during the pandemic.