NFL says April draft still on, but closed to public

The NFL says it still plans to hold the 2020 draft as scheduled from April 23 to 25, but public draft events in Las Vegas will not take place amid ongoing precautions being taken because of the coronavirus.

"This decision reflects our foremost priority -- the health and safety of all fans and citizens," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "While this outcome is disappointing both to the NFL and to the Las Vegas community, we look forward to partnering with the Raiders, the City of Las Vegas and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority for a future NFL Draft as well as evaluating opportunities for other major NFL events in Las Vegas in the future, including the Super Bowl."

The NFL said in its release that it is "exploring innovative options" for how the draft will be conducted and that the event still will be televised.

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On Sunday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended that gatherings of 50 people or more in United States be canceled or postponed for the next eight weeks because of the coronavirus.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.