PanamaTimes

Friday, Mar 29, 2024

One quarter of footballers in  EFL 'DO NOT intend to get a Covid jab

One quarter of footballers in EFL 'DO NOT intend to get a Covid jab

Only 59 per cent of players have received two vaccinations, with a further 16 per cent having had a single dose and prepared to have another one. Low vaccination rates raise concern over infections.

One quarter of players in the Football League have no vaccination to Covid-19 despite months of encouragement from the EFL and clubs to get jabbed - and currently don't intend to have one.

Only 59 per cent of players have received two vaccinations, with a further 16 per cent having had a single dose and prepared to have another one.

The alarming figures have changed little in the last two months following a major push by the EFL, clubs and the deputy Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Jonathan Van Tam.

QPR had to call off Monday's Championship clash with Sheffield United due to an outbreak

Professor Jonathan Van Tam, a keen football fan, has encouraged players to have a jab


And they will raise significant concerns about the spread of Covid-19 among Football League clubs, with a tidal wave of infection surging across the country fuelled by the Omicron variant.

Last week, the Premier League identified 42 new cases of Covid among squads when it was testing players and twice a week. Subsequently, it has moved to daily testing with lateral flow kits plus two PCR tests a week.

And the infection is spreading. Now, Brentford, Manchester United, Chelsea, Norwich, Brighton, Leicester and Watford have all been affected.

There has been no mandatory testing in the EFL, raising questions about the level of infection that might already exist, although clubs have been free to test themselves.

On Monday, QPR had to call off a Championship clash with Sheffield United due to an outbreak of Covid.

Subsequently, the Hoops visit to Swansea was also postponed and yesterday it was confirmed that Reading's Sky Bet Championship match at home to Luton on Saturday has also fallen victim to a Covid-19 outbreak, along with Millwall's game against Preston.

As reported in Sportsmail, EFL clubs have been urging the league to introduce mandatory testing.

And today, league bosses have announced they will switch to 'red protocols' and demand daily testing.

'Clubs will be expected to implement a daily screening programme of testing, subject to supply chain availability of lateral flow tests,' the EFL said in a statement.

'Any person with a positive test of symptoms will then be required to take a PCR test and isolate in line with Government guidance.'

In addition, social distancing measures will be required outside of physical sessions, along with restrictions to the use of indoor facilities, therapy and group travel, among others.

Unlike last season, the league says it will not be releasing weekly updates about the number of players and staff who test positive.

Millwall's Championship match at Preston has been postponed because of a Covid outbreak

One quarter of footballers in the EFL say they currently do not intend to have a vaccination


The EFL's Medical Advisor, Dr Richard Higgins said: 'Further to enhanced medical guidance recently issued, in response to a growing number of COVID-19 cases and subsequent fixtures postponements in recent days, the EFL has opted to strengthen its protocols for all Clubs to help minimise the health risks to individuals while seeking to mitigate against the threat of further fixture postponements in the weeks ahead.

'Alongside enhanced protocols which includes mandatory testing ahead of matchdays, the EFL continues to strongly encourage players and staff at Clubs to get fully vaccinated and obtain a booster jab if eligible to do so.

'We know that getting double jabbed and boosted now will reduce the risk of getting seriously ill or dying from COVID-19, reduce the risk of catching or spreading COVID-19 amongst team-mates and loved ones, while helping protect against COVID-19 variants including Omicron.'

The EFL said it will be supporting the Government’s ‘Get Boosted Now’ campaign over the coming weeks.

Newsletter

Related Articles

PanamaTimes
0:00
0:00
Close
Apple warns against drying iPhones with rice
In a recent High Court hearing, the U.S. argued that Julian Assange endangered lives by releasing classified information.
Global Law Enforcement Dismantles Lockbit Ransomware Operation
Russian opposition leader Alexey Navalny has died at the Arctic prison colony
The President of Argentina Javier Mile does not fly private, he flies commercial, with the citizens he represents. And they LOVE him for it.
Bitcoin Reaches $50,000 for First Time in Over Two Years
Belo Horizonte: Brazil's Rising Carnival Hotspot for 2024
In El Salvador, the 'Trump of Latin America' stuns the world with a speech slamming woke policing after winning a landslide election
Tucker’s interview with Putin is over 50M views on X within the first 5 hours.
Finnish Airline, Finnair, is voluntarily weighing passengers to better estimate flight cargo weight
President Nayib Bukele has proudly announced El Salvador's remarkable achievement of becoming the safest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
Former Chilean President Sebastian Piñera Dies in Helicopter Crash
This farmer seems to understand science a bit more than the event organizer, Klaus Schwab.
Facebook turns 20: From Mark Zuckerberg's dormitory to a $1trn company
The Coolest Dictator in the World" on the Path to Victory in El Salvador
Macron, France and fake news
Indian-Origin Man 'King' Arrested For Smuggling $16 Million Drugs Into US
Can someone teach Americans that not every person with slanted eyes is Chinese?
Europe's Farmers Feeding the People, Protesting Against Politicians Who Do Nothing for Their Country and Serve Only Themselves at Taxpayers' Expense
Paris Restaurant That Inspired 'Ratatouille' Loses $1.6 Million Worth Of Wine
Brazilian Police Investigate Bolsonaro's Son for Alleged Illegal Spying
Police in Brazil Raid Residence of Bolsonaro Associate Over Allegations of Illegal Spying
Border Dispute Escalates as Texas Governor Vows Increased Razor Wire
OpenAI Enhances ChatGPT-4 Model, Potentially Addressing AI "Laziness" Issue
The NSA finally acknowledges spying on Americans by acquiring sensitive data
Report Reveals Toxic Telegram Group Generating X-Rated AI-Generated Fake Images of Taylor Swift
US Border Patrol States 'No Plans' to Remove Razor Wire Installed in Texas
Bitcoin Experiences Approximately 20% Decline in Value
Klaus Schwab recently appointed himself as the Earth's "trustee of the future."
DeSantis Drops Out, Endorses Trump.
Nikki Haley said former President Trump is "just not at the same level" of mental fitness as he was while president in 2016.
Residents of a southern Mexican town set the government palace on fire in response to the police killing of a young man
Samsung Launches AI-Driven Galaxy S24, Ushering in New Smartphone Era
Judge Questions SEC's Regulatory Overreach in Coinbase Lawsuit
The Ecuador prosecutor who was investigating the television studio attack, has been assassinated.
Is artificial intelligence the solution to cyber security threats?
Vivek Ramaswamy suspends his US election campaign and endorses Trump.
Viral Satire: A Staged Satirical Clip Mistaken as Real Footage from the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos
The AI Revolution in the Workforce: CEOs at Davos Predict Major Job Cuts in 2024
Ecuador Reports 178 Hostages in Prison Gang Standoff
The Startling Cuban Espionage Case That Has Rattled the US Government
Two Armed Men in Ecuador, Dressed as Batman and The Joker Storm the Streets.
Armed Gang Raids Ecuadorian TV Station Following State of Emergency Declaration
Anti-Democratic Canada: Journalist Arrested for Questioning Canadian Finance Minister on Support of Terrorist Group
Ecuador's 'Most-Wanted' Criminal Vanishes from Prison
Mexican Cartel Supplied Wi-Fi to Locals Under Threat of Fatal Consequences for Non-Compliance
Border Surge Leads to Over 11,000 Migrants Waiting in Northern Mexico
Outsider Candidates Triumph in Latin American Elections
As Argentina Goes to the Polls, Will the Proposal to Replace the Peso with the Dollar Secure Votes?
Fatal Shark Attack Claims Life of Boston Woman Paddleboarding Near Bahamas Resort, According to Police
×