Getty Green Bay Packers fans stand outside of Lambeau Field before the NFL game against the New York Jets on September 14, 2014 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
The Green Bay Packers will be keeping Lambeau Field and its Titletown District facilities closed until at least April 24 in a continued response to the coronavirus outbreak that has seen a surge of cases in the United States over the past few weeks.
The Packers initially closed all of their operations to the public on March 13 with a plan to re-evaluate the situation near the end of the month, but they extended the deadline Thursday afternoon three days after Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers’ office issued an Emergency Order for all nonessential businesses to close in efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19.
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The NFL also issued a league-wide mandate on Wednesday night for all club facilities to remain closed to all personnel with a few exceptions for essential staffers, including those involved in providing medical treatment to players and personnel associated with physical security and cybersecurity.
Teams are still permitted to engage in normal business operations, such as signing players or evaluating draft prospects, according to a memo from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, via ESPN.
The closure will impact all of the Lambeau Field Atrium businesses, including the Packers Pro Shop, Packers Hall of Fame and 1919 Kitchen & Tap, while team-run public activities in Titletown have also been shut down. The team said in a statement it will reach out to businesses and organizations who have booked events at Lambeau Field for the next month to discuss arrangements.
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Packers, Mark Murphy Fund Coronavirus Relief
The Packers aren’t griping about the potential loss of revenue that comes with an offseason shutdown of their facilities. In fact, they are putting another $1.5 million back into their local communities.
The team announced Monday they will be establishing two relief funds to help those impacted by the coronavirus outbreak with the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation directing $1 million to help the residents in Brown County and Packers Give Back sending another $500,000 to help the Milwaukee area.
“We are facing an unprecedented challenge in our communities,” Packers President/CEO Mark Murphy said in a statement. “We know our nonprofit support agencies will be performing their usual excellent work, but they’ll need additional resources as various needs and gaps in coverage develop in the coming weeks and months. The Packers are committed to supporting them now and into the future as we all work together to weather this difficult time.
In addition to the team-based funds, Murphy and his wife Laurie are also personally putting up $240,000 to help with relief efforts in Green Bay and Door County.
Coronavirus May Impact Packers’ Bid to Host 2022 Draft
Per the Green Bay Press-Gazette, the Packers submitted bids to host the NFL draft in either 2022 or 2024 and are still waiting for official word on whether they will be given the distinction, but the impact of the coronavirus on the next month’s event in Las Vegas could have some say in the matter.
The NFL attempted to proceed as normal with the 2020 draft, which is scheduled to run April 23-25, but concerns about public gatherings eventually forced them to change it to a TV-only event. As a result, some have speculated whether this year’s host city will be given another opportunity to host in the near future to make up for the unprecedented change.
Cleveland is currently scheduled to host the draft in 2021 with Kansas City following in 2023.
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