CLEVELAND — The COVID-19 vaccination rates amongst the Cleveland Browns had largely been kept a secret until Friday.
General manager Andrew Berry said Friday that the team is certainly in good standing as far as the vaccines go. Berry said that every coach on staff is fully vaccinated, and then added that roughly 90% of the players are either fully vaccinated or are waiting to receive a second dose of the vaccine, in their final stages of becoming fully vaccinated.
#Browns Andrew Berry says 100% of the coaching staff is vaccinated and 90% of the players are fully vaccinated or receiving their second shot.
— Camryn Justice (@camijustice) July 30, 2021
"I think a lot of people have been involved in making sure the right information is out there about receiving the vaccine," Berry said.
This means that the Browns can operate as a team that has met the 85% vaccination threshold that the NFL has set in place to determine whether or not teams can loosen restrictions regarding COVID-19 protocols.
"Like, I spoke about last year, this Cleveland Browns organization has done everything in its power to make sure that we're safe and in the conditions that we need to be in to be able to come and play football," Browns wide receiver Jarvis Landry said earlier this week on how the team has handled the pandemic and vaccinations.
Players and coaches that are vaccinated are not required to wear masks or social distance according to league policy, while players that are unvaccinated must continue to practice social distancing and wear masks indoors.
Berry also addressed roster decisions in regards to vaccination status, saying what matters most to the organization is the performance on the field and the character of the player off the field.
"What I am focused on with roster decisions is how players produce between the white lines and how players conduct themselves as professionals outside of the white lines, that's it," Berry said.
RELATED:Browns remain united among any differing COVID-19 vaccine opinions
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