Premier League Clubs Record 0 New Cases of Coronavirus in Latest Round of Testing
By Max Cooper
The Premier League has taken another step towards its long-awaited return, announcing that there have been no new positive cases of the coronavirus in the latest round of testing.
Players and coaching staff are being tested for the virus, and they are all being advised to take the necessary precautions having returned to training ahead of football's hotly-anticipated return in the middle of June.
And the latest round of tests have confirmed that the safety measures in place are proving effective, as a statement released by the Premier League declared that zero new cases of the coronavirus have been recorded among 1,195 tests of players and club staff, as reported by The Telegraph.
"The Premier League can today confirm that on Thursday 4 June and Friday 5 June, 1,195 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19. Of these, zero have tested positive. 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 after each round of testing."
The first round of tests, from 17-18 May, saw six positive results recorded from a total of 748 samples, while two more positive cases were unearthed in the second round, taken from 996 more tests.
There were only three more positive cases recorded over the next three rounds of testing, and this latest result will be a huge boost for everyone eagerly awaiting the league's return. The Premier League is set to restart on 17 June, with two midweek fixtures taking place between Aston Villa and Sheffield United, while champions Manchester City host Arsenal.
The first full round of fixtures will then take place from 19 June, as the league aims to complete the final nine games of the season in swift fashion.