Twenty Major League Soccer players have tested positive for the new coronavirus, the North American Soccer League (MLS) announced on Sunday evening, with teams scheduled to resume competition in Florida on July 8 after almost four months’ hiatus from the pandemic.
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“As of Sunday, 18 players and six members of club management have received a positive result” in the PCR test they passed, out of a total of 668 players screened since the beginning of the month, the MLS said. .
“Two players” were also tested positive upon their arrival in Orlando, where the league’s revival tournament, entitled “MLS is back”, will take place behind closed doors.
Stopped since March 12, the championship is subject to a strict health protocol since the resumption of collective training on June 4. This caution can be explained by the health situation in the United States, the country most affected by Covid-19 with 125,747 deaths and more than 2.5 million infections.
On Tuesday, the female counterpart of MLS had already been caught by the new coronavirus: the Orlando Pride team had announced their withdrawal from the Challenge Cup, a tournament organized in Utah, following positive tests in six of its players and four members of management.
Florida has seen a dramatic upsurge in the epidemic in recent days. In addition to the MLS Revival tournament, this southeastern US state is also set to host the end of the NBA season starting July 30.
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