Premier League Covid rules: New measures for players and what fans have to do

Premier League players and club staff will now be required to take a lateral flow test every day before entering training grounds in an effort to limit the spread of coronavirus.

The new Omicron variant of the virus is understood to spread more rapidly than the Delta variant, which has been the prevalent strain in the United Kingdom for some time now.

And with a number of top flight clubs affected by positive tests in recent days, new measures have been put in place to help quell the potential disruption to a hectic festive fixture schedule.

We’ve gathered all of the details below...

What are the new Premier League Covid rules?

As agreed on Tuesday, all Premier League players and club staff will need to take a daily lateral flow test before they are allowed to enter their training ground.

In addition to those daily tests, players and staff will be required to take a PCR test at least twice a week. The same requirement was in place last season.

Other advisory measures include additional mask wearing, greater social distancing, and a limit on time spent receiving physical treatment in an effort to reduce the risk of further cases.

Which Premier League clubs have been affected by recent Covid outbreaks?

In the most recent round of testing, as reported on Monday, the Premier League confirmed 42 positive Covid tests over the previous seven days. That figure is the highest recorded since testing in the top flight began.

As a result of the recent spread of the virus, two Premier League matches have already been called off over the past few days, with Tottenham’s clash against Brighton and Manchester United’s meeting with Brentford both postponed.

The north Londoners and the Reds are not the only two sides to have confirmed positive cases, however, with Brighton, Leicester City, Aston Villa and Norwich City also affected.

In the Championship, QPR have had two matches postponed in the space of a week as well.

Are there any new rules for Premier League fans to follow?

Following the introduction of the government’s new ‘Plan B’ measures on Wednesday morning, it will now be mandatory for any supporters attending Premier League matches to provide proof of double vaccination or a recent negative test.

These rules apply to any fan planning to attend a sporting event with a crowd of 10,000 people or more.

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