Bundesliga stars get coronavirus tests results same-day
Cologne have announced that three members of their staff have tested positive for Covid-19
Several Bundesliga players are being tested daily and receiving same day results after coronavirus cases were discovered in their squad.
Cologne have ramped up their player checks following the three positive tests revealed on Friday, a development that will alert the Premier League as they monitor how Germany are attempting to resume football amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The trio of players were put in a 14-day quarantine though training was able to continue.
The remaining members of the training group the infected players were part of are currently being checked every 24 hours. Testing every three days remains in place for the rest of the squad.
None of the players in the affected group have returned positive results since Friday along with the rest of Markus Gisdol’s squad, who were working in groups of eight or nine.
German clubs have been back in training since last month with restrictions ahead of a planned return to full training this week and then games this month.
May 16 and May 23 are the two resumption dates under consideration.
Though those comeback hopes may be hit by confirmation yesterday from the DFL, organisers of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2, that a further 10 positive cases have been discovered from a total of 1724 carried out on players and staff from cubs in the two divisions. A second wave of tests will now take place this week.
Cologne, 10th in the Bundesliga, have been able to fast-track results of those in the daily testing group by effectively pushing players’ to the front of the queue to get their tests checked at a laboratory in the city.
Clubs across the Bundesliga will be able to replicate a similar process at their local labs should they need to though whether footballers should be given that privilege has split opinion in Germany.
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That will form a central part of the discussions when Chancellor Angela Merkel and the 16 regional state premiers meet on Wednesday to discuss Germany’s lockdown measures.
The outcome of the talks, which football authorities here will be keeping a close eye on with Germany ahead of England in the process, will be decisive in whether football is given the go-ahead to return or not.