City waiting on Covid test results
...AS DALE’S DOCTOR CALLS FOR SEASON TO BE HALTED
CITY’S Premier League rivals will be watching anxiously as the club are expecting the results from their latest round of Covid tests today.
The Blues have been unable to return to their training ground following the postponement of Monday night’s Premier League clash with Everton at Goodison Park after several members of the camp tested positive for the virus.
It had previously been confirmed that Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus were both self-isolating after testing positive for Covid-19, ruling them out of the 2-0 victory over Newcastle United on Boxing Day. But the Blues now fear they may have contracted the more infectious ‘mutant strain’ during their visit to London to play Arsenal last week.
Further testing was carried out yesterday, with the fear that more positive tests in the camp will see the cancellation of Sunday’s game with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and even the Carabao Cup semifinal with United at Old Trafford a week tonight.
Sheffield United yesterday revealed several members of their staff have the virus while Fulham’s match with Tottenham tonight is also in doubt as the Premier League revealed there were 18 new Covid-19 cases detected in the latest round of testing - from 1,479 players and club staff tested between December 21 and December 27.
That is the highest number recorded in a single round of testing, which started at the end of August.
There are reports Premier League clubs are now discussing a twoweek break next month in a bid to drive the Covid rate down.
Only five of the 12 scheduled League One games went ahead last night because of Covid outbreaks, and now a club doctor has called for a halt to the season.
Wes Tensel, who is a medic at Rochdale where an outbreak has forced their next two games to be called off, says there are consequences for football clubs beyond the pitch and thinks a postponement of the season would be a sensible move.
“This is my opinion as a doctor.
Some people will disagree, some won’t, this is just my opinion based on what I have seen working in the NHS and at a football club,” said Tensel, who is also a GP.
“As a club we try to minimise the spread of Covid as much as possible, but we have heard about this new strain which is more transmissible, does it make sense for clubs to be travelling across tiers when other people are unable to see their relatives in another tier over Christmas?
“People could only see their loved ones outside in a park, but a whole coach-load of footballers can go up and down the country as they wish.
“That is my feeling as a doctor, as a football fan I don’t want it to stop. But I am trying to see the bigger picture.
“A lot of people have been affected this year, it must be a bit frustrating for them and they must ask, ‘Why are footballers allowed to go all over the place?’
“If the government were to put us in another lockdown like we had with the very first one where it was just essential travel, then football should also stop as well.
“If they carry on with tiers, the fact that everything the government have done so far the cases are still increasing, I would have thought football probably should be postponed.
“Footballers travelling around the country are not causing spikes in different tiers but they can still pass it on to their loved ones because the football bubble they are in bursts every time they go home.
“There are consequences outside of the football pitch.”
The EFL is investigating the circumstances of each club’s outbreak and could issue fines or points deductions if it finds its Covid-19 guidelines were broken.
Points could also be deducted if clubs refuse to play when the EFL say it is safe to do so.. Tensel believes it is a possibility that some clubs are hiding the full nature of outbreaks from the governing body.
He said: “This is where Rochdale have been very transparent with the EFL and could have shot ourselves in the foot, but we felt it was important to be totally transparent.
“I am surprised that other clubs who have had positive cases, there have been no spread.
“That could be because they have followed the guidance to the letter and it has worked - fair play, that is great - but it could also be some of these clubs felt, ‘Actually, if we start to tell the EFL it has spread then we are going to lose points.’
“If they start to fine people or dock points some clubs at the bottom may think we are not going to say anything and then just carry on.”