Premier League clubs have recorded 36 positive tests for coronavirus in the latest round of testing among players and staff, Daily Mail reports.
Some 2,593 tests were carried out between January 4 and 10 and the infection rate was 1.39 per cent.
Top tier clubs have been tested twice a week for Covid since the turn of the year and the latest figures compare to a season-high of 40 positive tests last week from 2,295 tests. An infection rate of 1.7 per cent.
The latest estimate for the infection rate among the population as a whole is 2.06 per cent, although the rate among younger people, aged 18-35, tends to be around 3 per cent.
The current set of results come as football battles to stem the spread of the new strain of coronavirus, which appears to have increased the level of infections in the Premier League and English Football League.
Five Premier League matches have now been postponed due to Covid outbreaks at clubs, the most recent being Aston Villa’s game against Tottenham Hotspur, due to be played at Villa Park on Wednesday 13 January.
In the FA Cup this weekend, Aston Villa fielded a team of U23 and U18 players to play Liverpool because coronavirus had affected a number of players for a game they lost 4-1 at Villa Park.
The top-flight clubs known to have been affected by cases of coronavirus include, Manchester City, Fulham, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, Burnley, as well as Villa, and on Monday, Chelsea announced an outbreak of the virus at its academy, although it did not affect first-team players.
The latest results come as the UK announced a further 573 coronavirus deaths yesterday in the highest Sunday rise since April.
Infections also continue to be high, with 54,940 announced yesterday – the 13th day in a row they have been above the 50,000 mark.
The Premier League has taken action to reduce the spread of the virus within the game. As well as introducing twice-weekly tests, tougher protocols were unveiled on Friday with immediate effect.
