Premier League announces Covid-19 cases halve in a week as 16 are recorded - down from a peak of 40

ByEnis Koylu

Updated 18/01/2021 at 22:33 GMT

The Premier League has confirmed a sharp reduction in the number of positive coronavirus tests returned by players and staff, with 16 cases confirmed this week, down from 40 last week. Footballers have been reminded of their responsibilities by the PFA, the Premier League and the EFL after a sharp rise in cases in December.

The Premier League has announced a further 16 positive Covid-19 tests - a figure less than half the one registered last week.

Cases of the novel coronavirus spiralled across the United Kingdom in December, forcing all four home nations back into lockdown.

There had been calls for the Premier League to be halted, as during the country's first shutdown, led by the likes of Sam Allardyce and Steve Bruce, the managers of West Brom and Newcastle respectively. They were vehemently opposed by Tottenham counterpart Jose Mourinho.

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These calls were intensified when the league confirmed 40 cases among players and staff a fortnight ago, but last week that figure dipped to 36.

• Premier League reports 40 new coronavirus cases - the highest recorded so far
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And there has been another sustained drop, with only 16 cases reported this time around out of a total of 3,115 tests.

"The Premier League can today confirm that between Monday 11 January and Sunday 17 January, across two rounds of testing, 3,115 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19. Of these, there were 16 new positive tests," a statement read.

"Players or club staff who have tested positive will self-isolate for a period of 10 days.

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"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."

Rather than suspending elite football, the Premier League and the PFA wrote to clubs and players to remind them of their responsibilities, with new measures including socially-distant goal celebrations.

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