The Premier League has confirmed four coronavirus cases among players and coaching staff in the league from the recently conducted 1,646 tests.
The confirmed cases were reported two weeks after the Premier League announced that three players and staff tested positive for the dreaded virus when the league body tested 1,605 players and members of staff two weeks ago.
Before the league went on the FIFA international break, the league body carried out another round of tests between November 2 and 8 which returned four positive results. In a statement the Premier League issued on Monday announcing the confirmed cases, the league body failed to mention those who have contracted the virus. The league body however confirmed that those that have been infected will self-isolate for 10 days.
A statement from the league read: “The Premier League can today confirm that between Monday 2 November and Sunday 8 November, 1,646 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19.
“Of these, there were four new positive tests. Players or club staff who have tested positive will self-isolate for 10 days.”
The announcement that the Premier League just recorded four coronavirus cases is coming about a week after the government of the United Kingdom announced a total lockdown across the country which did not affect the Premier League. It is also coming amidst calls for the government to allow fans to return to stadiums for league matches.
The new four coronavirus cases might delay the return of fans to match venues
On the issue of fans returning to match venues, the Minister for Sport Nigel Huddleston stated on Monday that the UK government intends to allow football fans to return to match venues but that possibility can be looked at when the government lifts the coronavirus restrictions in the country on December 2.
The minister said: “I am fully aware of the importance of getting fans back in stadia, not just for football but for all elite sports.
“The point made by several members today that a one-size-fits-all approach may not be appropriate, and we are paying attention to what is happening in other countries.
“The Government does understand the financial implications of not allowing fans back into stadia from October 1 and we have worked tirelessly to get sports back up and running over the past few months, albeit behind closed doors…
“A big challenge we are facing, however, is how spectators travel to and from venues and how that might impact on transmission rates.
“But we are committed to getting spectators back as soon as possible and we are working with the STIG (Sports Technology Innovation Group) group to analyze new technologies which might support the return of spectators.”
The sports minister’s speech did not give any timeline for when football fans are expected to return to stadiums amid the coronavirus pandemic. With the number of positive tests that are still reported in the league, the possibility of the government lifting the ban on spectators attending Premier League matches is still very low.
The 2020-2021 season might end without fans at match venues except there is a drastic drop in the cases of the virus in the United Kingdom. Hence, the Premier League will resume on November 21 from the international break behind closed doors as it has been since June.
