Record 103 new Covid-19 cases announced by Premier League
A record 103 positive Covid-19 tests have been identified in England’s top-flight football league in the seven days leading up to Sunday.
The last two weeks have seen a sharp rise in cases among the Premier League, with 90 cases identified in the prior week.
A total of 15 Premier League hames have been called off this month due to Covid-19.
In a statement, the Premier League said: “The safety of everyone is a priority and the Premier League is taking all precautionary steps in response to the impact of the Omicron variant of COVID-19.
“The League has reverted to its Emergency Measures, and has increased testing of players and club staff to daily lateral flow and twice-weekly PCR tests, having previously carried out lateral-flow testing twice a week.
“The League can today confirm that between Monday 20 December and Sunday 26 December, 15,186 Covid-19 tests were administered on players and club staff. Of these, there were 103 new positive cases.
“The Premier League’s Covid-19 Emergency Measures include protocols such as wearing face coverings while indoors, observing social distancing, limiting treatment time, as well as the increased testing.
“The League is continuing to work with clubs to keep people safe by helping mitigate the risks of Covid-19 within their squads.
“We are also liaising closely with the Government, local authorities and supporter groups, while being responsive to any future changes to national or local guidance.
“The Premier League is providing this aggregated information for the purposes of competition integrity and transparency.
“No specific details as to clubs or individuals will be provided by the League and results will be made public on a weekly basis.”