A coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak at Old Trafford has resulted in Brentford’s Premier League game against Manchester United being postponed.
According to the Premier League in a statement, the decision to postpone the game was made “following guidance from medical advisers due to the exceptional circumstances” of the outbreak.
Manchester United had earlier reportedly shut down operations at their Carrington training ground to minimise the risk of infection.
According to Manchester United, positive cases among staff and players reported on Sunday have been confirmed by PCR tests and the outbreak “requires ongoing surveillance”.
Reports suggest that every Manchester United’s player tested negative before Saturday’s 1-0 win at Norwich, but some tested positive before training on Sunday morning.
In a statement released 23:50 GMT on Monday, December 13, 2021, United indicated that “Given cancellation of training and disruption to the squad, and with the health of players and staff the priority, the club requested the match to be rearranged.”
The statement added “The Premier League Board took the decision to postpone based on guidance from medical advisors.”
According to Premier League, the Brentford vs Manchester United which was scheduled to be played at 19:30 GMT on Tuesday, December 14, 2021, will be rearranged “in due course”.
Total cases
As earlier reported, 42 players and staff in the Premier League tested positive for Covid-19 in the past week.
The current cases are considered the most recorded in the Premier League in a period of one week.
The 42 cases mark the highest number after 40 cases were reported in January 2021.
Reports say at the time the 40 cases were recorded in January, about 2,295 tests were carried out, while 3,805 tests were done in the latest round from 6-12 December 2021.
The clubs that have confirmed cases in the latest round include Brighton, Tottenham, Leicester, Manchester United and Aston Villa, with United’s game at Brentford in doubt, a report sighted by African Entertainment on www.bbc.com revealed.
Reports say going forward, fans will need to show proof of double vaccination or a negative test to attend sporting events with crowds of more than 10,000 people in England.