London (AFP)
Ten players or staff from the 20 Premier League teams tested positive for Covid-19 during the fourth wave of testing, the highest total since these tests were carried out, the championship organizer announced on Monday.
The level of contamination remains low, since 1,595 players and staff members were tested between September 21 and 27, but the figure is significantly higher than the three previous waves, which had detected 3, 4 and then again 3 positive cases.
Even at the end of the previous season - at a time when the virus was also circulating much less in Britain - the record was 6 positive cases, in the very first widespread screening on May 17-18.
West Ham was particularly affected since, last Tuesday, his coach David Moyes and the players Issa Diop and Josh Cullen had to leave the London Stadium in a hurry where they were preparing to play against Hull (D3) in the League Cup, after having been notified of their contamination with the new coronavirus.
On the same day, Leyton Orient's game against Tottenham was postponed and then finally called off after several D4 players tested positive, in a paid screening by Spurs.
Positive players and staff will self-isolate for 10 days, in accordance with the protocol put in place by the Premier League and public authorities.
© 2020 AFP