Two more positive cases of COVID-19 have been reported in the English Premier League after 996 tests were conducted on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, confirmed the league in a statement on Friday.
“The Premier League can today confirm that on Tuesday 19 May, Thursday 21 May and Friday 22 May, 996 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19. Of these, two have tested positive from two clubs,” the Premier League statement read.
The identity of the two infected persons was not revealed but it was informed that they have been asked to self-isolate for a period of seven days.
This was the second round of tests that were conducted after 748 players and club staff were tested in the first round on May 17 and 18. “For the second round of testing, the number of tests available to each club was increased from 40 to 50,” the statement added.
In the first round, six positive cases for coronavirus were detected at three Premier League clubs as the players and staff prepared for the return to training.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom government gave the Premier League a green light earlier to resume the 2019-20 season in June.
After the government’s green light, the club representatives held a video conference meeting where they discussed the plans laid under ‘Project Restart’ which was initiated with aims to see Premier League making a return by June.
However, several players like Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling, Hary Kane, Tammy Abraham, Troy Deeney and Dany Rose had all questioned Premier League’s urgency to resume the competition, even though the fight against coronavirus has not yet been won in the United Kingdom.
The COVID-19 crisis in the United Kingdom continues to loom large with more than 240 thousand people affected by COVID-19 and over 34 thousand killed, the second-highest in the world.
The eight positive cases in Premier League so far have shown the risk the club officials and the players are being subjected to.