The Premier League is still affected by the coronavirus. In the third round of testing, four people from three different clubs tested positive for coronavirus.
However, the Premier League does not reveal which persons are involved. All players and staff members are tested several times to see if it is justified to resume the competition for next month.
“The Premier League can today confirm that on Monday 25 May and Tuesday 26 May, 1,008 players and club staff were tested for coronavirus.” a statement read.
“Of these, four have tested positive from three clubs. Players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for a period of seven days.
“Previously, between 19-22 May, 996 players and club staff were tested for coronavirus, of which two tested positive from two clubs.
“Some 748 players and club staff were tested for coronavirus on 17-18 May, with six testing positive from three clubs. For the fourth round of testing, the number of tests available to each club will be increased from 50 to 60.” a statement added.
The government has already given permission for this – provided that the matches are played without an audience – and the clubs also want to play football again, also because they would otherwise miss millions of euros in television money.
The clubs voted unanimously earlier today to resume group training. The teams already returned to the field on May 19, but so far only small groups are allowed to train and physical duels are not allowed.
Allowing contact training is considered phase 2 in Project Restart. The Premier League aims to continue the competition on June 12, but that seems to be tight due to the limited preparation time.
The four new infections may also cause discussion again. A number of players do not feel like playing football again soon and even refuse to train. In the first and second test round, there were also positive cases, six and two respectively.
