According to the Premier League 40 players and club staff have tested positive for coronavirus over the past week — more than double the previous weekly high.
The Premier League conducted 2,295 tests across two rounds of testing (between 1 and 3 January) the past week.
It’s a worrying sign to see the cases rise from a previous high of 18 positive results from 21 and 27 December, although the league maintains that these are low numbers considering the amount of tests done.
In the latest round, 1.74% of those tested were found to be positive.
“With low numbers of positive tests across the overwhelming majority of clubs, the league continues to have confidence in its Covid-19 protocols, fully backed by the Government, to enable fixtures to be played as scheduled,” said the Premier League in a statement.
On top of that, there was a decrease in the number of positive tests from the previous round of testing across the Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship — from 32 dropping to 15 when 635 tests were carried out.
The players and club staff who test positive must self-isolate for 10 days, which is a long time for stars trying to maintain match fitness.
Let’s hope this doesn’t result in more matches being postponed.
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