90min

Premier League Clubs in Tier 4 to Have Increased Coronavirus Testing

By Grey Whitebloom

Some Premier League clubs may be forced to undertake different Covid-19 testing protocols following the government's latest guidelines
Some Premier League clubs may be forced to undertake different Covid-19 testing protocols following the government's latest guidelines / Visionhaus/Getty Images
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Premier League football clubs located in England's newly categorised Tier 4 are set to increase the number of Covid-19 tests to twice per week to combat the new strain of the virus.

On Saturday, 19 December, the Prime Minister announced that some areas of the nation would move from Tier 3 to Tier 4 status, which brings tougher restrictions following the identification of a new coronavirus strain that is thought to spread more rapidly.

The Premier League has hosted more than 200 fixtures since football returned in mid-June
The Premier League has hosted more than 200 fixtures since football returned in mid-June / RICHARD HEATHCOTE/Getty Images

Large parts of the south east of England, including all 32 boroughs of London, have been moved to Tier 4 status. Health experts have suggested that the new strain of COVID-19 is 'likely' to prompt postponements in the Premier League which, after 14 rounds of the current season, has only seen one fixture called off due to the pandemic.

In a bid to prevent these predicted disruptions, Premier League clubs in Tier 4 are set to increase the number of tests they conduct on their players and staff according to the Daily Mail. England's top flight teams in the nation's highest tier are reportedly going to be subjected to tests every 72 hours as 'an additional precaution'.

All six London clubs in the Premier League, Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Tottenham and West Ham have been placed in Tier 4 and may conducted this renewed testing protocols.

This increased testing schedule is thought to be introduced after the festive period and is the culmination of talks which have supposedly been 'ongoing for some time' before the latest update accelerated matters.

All six Premier League teams in London have been placed in Tier 4
All six Premier League teams in London have been placed in Tier 4 / Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

The Premier League reported less than 0.5% of positive tests after the latest batch of results, but several sides outside the English top flight have revealed a spate of new positive cases. However, the speed of the transmission in cases at League One's Ipswich Town have led the team's physio Matt Byard to speculate that the club's players and staff have contracted the new strain.

Byard shared his thoughts on increased testing to the club's official website, saying: “I know the EFL are looking at bringing in extra measures, with maybe more testing for example. I have always supported routine testing to secure a return to playing programme.

"Personally, with so many clubs affected by this presently and this new strain development, football may benefit from a ‘circuit breaker’ before a return to playing securely.”