In just two weeks, the Premier League has canceled 12 games due to coronavirus concerns, with players being forced to isolate after testing positive or if they are unvaccinated and close to a COVID-19 case.
Two Premier League matches scheduled for Sunday have been postponed due to coronavirus outbreaks at Leeds and Watford, the latest disruption to the championship caused by instances rising in squads. As part of a seven-game Boxing Day schedule, Leeds was scheduled to visit Liverpool and Watford was scheduled to visit Wolverhampton.
Matches Called off Due to Covid
In just two weeks, the Premier League has canceled 12 games due to coronavirus concerns, with players being forced to isolate after testing positive or if they are unvaccinated and close to a COVID-19 case.
“The league is aware that the decision to postpone these two matches will disappoint supporters and understands their frustrations at a special time of year when fans look forward to attending and watching football games,” the Premier League said in a statement on Thursday.
Six of Sunday’s ten Championship matches have been postponed, indicating that games are being canceled lower down the leagues. Five more positive cases among the squad and staff were announced on Thursday, prompting the closure of the Leeds training field to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
“All of the cases we have experienced are asymptomatic which we believe is due to our high vaccine take-up,” Leeds said. “The positive cases, combined with our well-documented injury issues, means that we would not have enough recognized first-team players to meet the Premier League requirements for the fixture.”
Request for Vaccination
Watford has informed the league that it expects to be able to play West Ham on Tuesday as a result of players coming out of isolation. In Britain, where the omicron variety is currently dominant, confirmed coronavirus cases have increased by nearly 60% in a week.
The Premier League advised players to be vaccinated after a record 90 positive cases were reported last week, with 16 percent having yet to take a single dosage. While more than 90% of players in the Italian and Spanish divisions have been properly vaccinated, only 77 percent of Premier League players have been double-jabbed, according to the league.
Read: Premier League is considering new regulations with 16% of players refusing to be vaccinated
