This archive report was first published on 27 December 2021.
On December 27, 2021, the Premier League confirmed a record 103 players and staff tested positive for the coronavirus in the period from December 20 to 26.
This number surpassed the total a week earlier, when the English top-flight hit a new high since testing began in 2020 with 90 positive cases.
So far in December, 15 Premier League games have been called off, while the three divisions below the top tier have been decimated by postponements.
According to the Premier League, between Monday 20 December and Sunday 26 December, 15,186 COVID-19 tests were administered on players and club staff, resulting in 103 new positive cases.
‘The safety of everyone is a priority and the Premier League is taking all precautionary steps in response to the impact of the Omicron variant,’ a Premier League statement said.
Despite the rise in Covid cases and postponements, Premier League chiefs last week opted against halting the season despite calls from some top-flight bosses for a ‘circuit breaker’.
At the same meeting, clubs were warned that games will go ahead if each team has 13 fit outfield players and a goalkeeper.
The Premier League has increased testing of players and club staff to daily Lateral Flow and twice-weekly PCR tests, having previously carried out Lateral Flow testing twice a week.
