Bath training ground closed because of operators’ testing error
Bath’s decision to shut their training ground at Farleigh House this week because of an alleged Covid-19 outbreak came after a calamitous “operator error” meant the number of positive tests at the club was incorrectly reported by the Gallagher Premiership’s testing partners, Randox Health, who are paid £100,000 per week for the testing service.
Bath were informed that 19 of the 24 positive results this week across the Premiership comprised Bath players and staff, with a further 16 players identified as close contacts. A total of 35 of the club’s players and staff were told to isolate for 10 days.
On Wednesday, Randox Health then told Bath 18 of the 19 positive results were in fact negative, and just one player had tested positive. The Telegraph understands that a further nine close contacts are now isolating, mainly from the academy rather than the first team.
“We, advised by Public Health England, are now confident this was a discrete error and that the revised test results are correct,” read a club statement. “However, as an additional surveillance measure alongside the Randox testing programme, independent Public Health testing will also be undertaken for Bath players and staff over the next 24 hours.”
The club will not return to full contact training at Farleigh House until Tuesday “when both the independent Public Health England test results and a further round of testing from Randox have been completed”, just three days before their derby against Bristol, placing the club at a significant disadvantage.
Only two players, one from Bath and one from another club, tested positive for Covid-19 this week across the whole of the Premiership, out of 989 players and management from the 12 clubs. The weekly publication of results from the PCR testing programme was delayed by more than 24 hours while the error was investigated. “Randox has assured Premiership Rugby that this was an isolated incident and that action has been taken to ensure that this does not reoccur,” said the governing body.
A Randox spokesperson said: “As a result of routine risk analysis Randox discovered that in an isolated incident, operators failed to follow the established and robust procedures that Randox have in place for Covid19 testing. Randox apologises for any inconvenience caused. Randox have introduced innovative robotic systems to ensure that this type of human error cannot reoccur.”
Phil Winstanley, rugby director at Premiership Rugby said: “The health and safety of everyone is a priority for us, so this matter will be thoroughly investigated.”