London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jul 13, 2025

Calls for Premier League 'circuit break' amid rising Covid-19 cases

Calls for Premier League 'circuit break' amid rising Covid-19 cases

It's a season that's so far delivered one of the more intriguing title races -- just six points separate the top nine teams -- but with the UK grappling with a significant spike in Covid-19 cases, the English Premier League is facing a major challenge in how it navigates the remainder of the 2020/2021 campaign.

On Tuesday, the Premier League announced 18 new positive Covid-19 tests among players and club staff in its latest round of testing. That's the highest number of positive tests recorded since the league began weekly testing at the start of the current season.

On Monday, the match between Everton and Manchester City was postponed because of a Covid-19 outbreak at the latter club which included positive tests for players Gabriel Jesus and Kyle Walker on Christmas Day.

Monday's postponement was the second match to be have been affected by Covid-19 this season -- Newcastle's game at Aston Villa was also postponed after a number of players and staff at the north-east club returned positive test results.

Later on Wednesday, the Premier League announced a third postponement -- the game between Tottenham Hotspur and Fulham, which was slated to be played at 6 p.m. local time.

"Fulham lodged a request with the Premier League Board to rearrange the fixture following a significant rise in positive COVID-19 cases, as well as a number of players showing symptoms today," said a Premier League statement.

"With low numbers of positive tests across the overwhelming majority of clubs, the Premier League continues to have full confidence in its COVID-19 protocols and being able to continue to play our fixtures as scheduled."

Fulham manager Scott Parker missed its previous game as he was self-isolating following a positive Covid-19 test in his household but announced he would return to the dugout for the Spurs game before its postponement.

'When are we going to play the games?'


New West Bromwich Albion manager Sam Allardyce, who was appointed earlier in December, has called for a temporary halt to the Premier League season amid the rising number of positive test results.

"Everyone's safety is more important than anything else. When I listen to the news the variant virus transmits quicker than the original ... we can only do the right thing which is have a circuit break," Allardyce told reporters after his side's 5-0 defeat by Leeds United on Tuesday.

"I'm 66 and the last thing I want to do is catch COVID. I'm very concerned for myself and football ... We had one positive this week and it seems to be creeping around no matter how hard we try."

Meanwhile Southampton manager Ralph Hasenhuttl had to stay in touch with his team from home via a video link for the goalless draw with West Ham on Tuesday after a member of his household tested positive for coronavirus.


Allardyce watches warm up prior to a Premier League match.


The UK recorded 53,135 coronavirus cases on Tuesday, breaking its daily record since the pandemic began for a second day in a row. A further 414 people have died, according to the British government.

The UK is also battling a new variant of the virus which spreads more quickly than the others and has forced increased restrictions over the festive period.

However, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says a break would more pressure on teams given the number of games still to be played and the rescheduled European Championships in the summer. United has another 23 leagues to play and is involved in three other competition, the FA Cup, the League Cup and the Europa League.

"It's not something I've thought about a lot [...] I think we, as a club and a group, our players have been really, really good following the protocols and rules, I have to praise them," Solskjaer told the media after Manchester United's 1-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers.

"That's part of the job here, that we as clubs follow the protocols that we have been given. I can't see the benefit in having a circuit breaker or whatever it is going to be called because when are we going to play the games?

"We all know it's so difficult this year but if you just stop more games I don't think that's going to make a big, big change. It might be a longer one than that and when do we finish the season?"

The Premier League declined comment when asked by CNN as to whether the competitive balance of English football's top-flight was being affected by the uptick in Covid-19 positive tests among multiple players and staff.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
President Trump Visits Flood-Ravaged Texas, Praises Community Strength and First Responders
From Mystery to Meltdown, Crisis Within the Trump Administration: Epstein Files Ignite A Deepening Rift at the Highest Levels of Government Reveals Chaos, Leaks, and Growing MAGA Backlash
Trump Slams Putin Over War Death Toll, Teases Major Russia Announcement
Reparations argument crushed
Rainmaker CEO Says Cloud Seeding Paused Before Deadly Texas Floods
A 92-year-old woman, who felt she doesn't belong in a nursing home, escaped the death-camp by climbing a gate nearly 8 ft tall
French Journalist Acquitted in Controversial Case Involving Brigitte Macron
Elon Musk’s xAI Targets $200 Billion Valuation in New Fundraising Round
Kraft Heinz Considers Splitting Off Grocery Division Amid Strategic Review
Trump Proposes Supplying Arms to Ukraine Through NATO Allies
EU Proposes New Tax on Large Companies to Boost Budget
Trump Imposes 35% Tariffs on Canadian Imports Amid Trade Tensions
Junior Doctors in the UK Prepare for Five-Day Strike Over Pay Disputes
US Opens First Rare Earth Mine in Over 70 Years in Wyoming
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
Bitcoin Reaches New Milestone of $116,000
Biden’s Doctor Pleads the Fifth to Avoid Self-Incrimination on President’s Medical Fitness
Grok Chatbot Faces International Backlash for Antisemitic Content
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
×