The NFL is requiring top staff to receive a Covid-19 vaccine booster shot by Dec. 27, according to a memo obtained by CNBC.
The mandate covers coaches, trainers, physicians and others with direct contact with players, as well as staff including certain assistant coaches, general managers and operations employees.
The memo also recommends that clubs arrange to provide the boosters to eligible employees. Any staff who are not currently eligible for boosters, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, must come into compliance with the new policy within 14 days of becoming eligible for a booster.
Players are not affected by the new mandate, as their Covid-19 protocols must be negotiated with the NFL Players Association.
The change follows an uptick in positive cases among NFL players as the new omicron Covid variant takes hold across the nation. Thirty-six players, 25 players on active rosters and 11 on practice squads, were placed on the reserve list on Monday following positive Covid tests.
—CNBC’s Jessica Golden contributed to this report.