No virus test for Arsenal personnel despite contact with Marinakis
No Arsenal players and staff will be tested for the coronavirus, despite the fact their match with Manchester City, scheduled for this morning (Singapore time), was postponed.
The clash was the first English Premier League fixture to be called off because of the coronavirus.
Arsenal said players and four staff had been isolated at their homes after coming into contact with the owner of Greek club Olympiakos, Evangelos Marinakis, who has tested positive for Covid-19.Fewer than five Arsenal players had met Marinakis following their Europa League round of 32 meeting in London on Feb 27.
Marinakis, who also owns Championship side Nottingham Forest, said on Tuesday that he had contracted the disease.
Olympiakos released a statement yesterday saying their players and staff had been tested for the virus and that all tests came back negative.
Forest also released a statement saying none of their employees tested positive. They said: "Within hours of receiving the news that owner Evangelos Marinakis had tested positive for the virus, the club took swift action to arrange tests for the entire first-team players, staff and officers that came into contact with the owner last week."
However, according to the BBC, the Arsenal players who came within two metres of Marinakis for around 15 minutes in the tunnel and the Gunners staff who sat close to him in the stands will not be tested.
According to British government advice, individuals who have come into contact with somebody who might be infected are not considered cases and will only be tested if they also become unwell.
They will be asked to self-isolate at home for 14 days from the time of contact.
The Arsenal employees' 14-day isolation period expires tomorrow, and their EPL visit to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday is due to go ahead as planned.
Goal.com reported that manager Mikel Arteta was not one of the Arsenal staff affected and has continued to take training of the unaffected players as per normal.
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