Valencia have revealed that no less than nine of the club’s employees have tested positive for coronavirus.
Los Che hosted Atalanta last week in the second leg of the clubs’ Champions League last 16 clash.
Atalanta prevailed in a 4-3 thriller to win 8-4 on aggregate, but the game was soon overshadowed by the growing Covid-19 epidemic that has since seen football in both Spain and Italy suspended.
On Sunday Valencia confirmed five cases of COVID-19 among the first-team players and staff amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Ezequiel Garay was the first Liga player to confirm a positive test before Valencia team-mate Eliaquim Mangala followed suit, and Jose Gaya also announced his diagnosis on Sunday.
“I have tested positive for the coronavirus,” 24-year-old Gaya wrote on Instagram. “I am isolated in my house and totally asymptomatic.
“Therefore, I want to take advantage of this social network so that we do not collapse our healthcare. Now it’s the elderly people who need it the most, and it’s the serious cases that need to be taken care of by our health heroes.”
Now the club has affirmed that four further cases have been diagnosed, although they insist that none of the affected are in danger.
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“Several further tests for the COVID-19 coronavirus amongst Valencia CF coaching staff and players have come back positive,” Valencia announced in a statement released on Monday.
“All cases are asymptomatic and those involved are currently isolated at home, receiving medical assessment and carrying out their scheduled training plan.
“Despite the strict measures adopted by the club after their UEFA Champions League game against Atalanta on February 19th in Milan – an area confirmed as ‘high risk’ by the Italian authorities days afterwards – ,which included maintaining a distance between the squad and club employees/the general public, these latest results show that the exposure inherent to such matches has caused a positive test rate of around 35%.
“Valencia CF would like to take this opportunity to insist that the population stay in their homes and strictly follow previously published hygiene and infection prevention measures. We also wish to express our confidence in our healthcare system and the recommendations by the Ministry of Health for those cases of coronavirus infection being treated with isolation.”
