By David Awopetu
The Premier League have announced there were 40 positive results for coronavirus returned after the latest round of testing – more than double the previous record.
On Tuesday, the top-flight English football revealed 40 of the 1,575 players and members of staff at the 20 top-flight clubs had returned a positive Covid-19 test.
The previous record, set on December 29, was just 18, with the massive surge in the past week a genuine concern following the emergence of a mutant strain of the virus.
The latest round of testing took place between December 28 and January 3.
“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.
The Football Association said there were 15 positive results from 635 tests carried out across the Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship between 28 December and 3 January.
It marks a decrease in the number of positive tests from the previous round, when there were 32 positive results from 864 tests between 14-20 December,
Four players at WSL side Manchester City tested positive as a result of them taking a trip to Dubai with the club’s permission.
The latest Premier League results mark an increase in the rate of positive tests. In the latest round, 1.74% of those tested were found to be positive.
Under Premier League regulations, players and club staff who test positive must self-isolate for 10 days.
Three matches in the English top flight were called off last week because of coronavirus outbreaks at individual clubs.
