The Premier League has confirmed that two rounds of coronavirus tests on players and staff between December 28 and January 3 revealed 40 new positive cases.
There were 28 new cases found in 1,311 tests administered between December 28 and December 31, with 12 new cases coming from 984 tests between January 1 and January 3.
Outbreaks have occurred in Manchester City and Fulham, leading to the postponement of three games involving these clubs. The only other match to fall victim to the coronavirus this season was between Newcastle and Aston Villa in early December due to an outbreak in the former.
The current spike in positive cases appears to be largely contained in Manchester City and Fulham, with the Premier League explaining that there is also “a low number of positive tests in the overwhelming majority of clubs”.
But having 40 positive coronavirus tests in a week is a significant jump from the previous peak, which was 18 positive cases discovered in the week of December 21-27.
It replicates the larger picture happening in the rest of the UK, where the most dangerous strain of coronavirus is tearing the country apart at an alarming rate, pushing the government for a third national lockdown in a bid to bring the disease under control. transmission.
But the Premier League still expresses its confidence that the proper security procedures and protocols are in place to keep the games moving forward. Meetings that have had to be postponed so far will be reorganized as soon as possible.
A number of players were found to be in breach of coronavirus restrictions during the Christmas period, including three from Tottenham attending an illegal gathering on Christmas Day. Since then, calls have been made to the football authorities to punish and ban players caught breaking the rules.
For more than Jamie Spencer, follow it on Twitter and Facebook!
