With COVID-19 cases back on the rise, should there be a football break? Brentford boss Thomas Frank wants a stop in proceedings so that infected players can recover and reduce the risk of transmission.
A Football Break is the Answer, According to one Premier League Manager
Do We Delay Premier League Games Now and Save the Christmas Fixtures?
Since early November, the UK is seeing the average number of daily confirmed cases rise. Wednesday saw the highest number of daily cases since the pandemic began. The emergence of the new Omicron variant is causing concern. The variant may be more transmissible therefore it could lead to further restrictions.
Football seems to be taking a heavy hit with COVID cases soaring. News of more confirmed cases reached Thomas Frank during a press conference. The current tally of infected Brentford players stands at 13. Speaking in the press conference Frank said: “To postpone this round and also the Carabao Cup round would give everyone a week at least, or four or five days to clean and do everything at the training ground so everything is clean and you break the chain.”
Is Thomas Frank right in asking for a break across all football to curb the transmissions?
Lockdown Games or Play It by Ear?
Leicester against Tottenham is now postponed due to the Foxes having too few players available. Leicester will also close its training grounds and facilities for 48 hours to stem the infections. This is Tottenham’s third consecutive postponement due to coronavirus cases.
There are several games under review as more postponements loom. Everton’s game against Chelsea remains on despite rumours that members of Thomas Tuchel’s squad have tested positive for Covid. However, the situation is constantly developing and according to football.london the players are set to be tested again before tonight’s match.
With some games going ahead as normal some think that it’s best to carry on if possible. As reported by Sky Sports, the Premier League will continue to judge games in a case-by-case basis rather than risk postponing all games.
How Likely Are More Cases?
Omicron could be more transmissible than dominant Covid-19 variants and has the potential to evade vaccines. As reported in the Guardian, Prof Michael Tildesley, an expert in the mathematical modelling of infectious disease at the University of Warwick, said: “It is worth remembering, though, that there is a lag between individuals being infected and cases being reported, so at the point that cases are detected, it is likely that there are more infections in the community.”
This means that there are likely more cases developing within teams that already have existing infections.
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