The British variant of Covid-19 detected in the Aviron Bayonnais workforce

“It’s catastrophic”, launches a resident of Bayonne in front of the cameras of TF1. “I just hope it doesn’t get to the restaurant, to the center”, continues a trader. Since several players from the Bayonne rugby club have tested positive for the new strain of coronavirus, concern has been felt in this city in southwestern France.

But, what happened? The French club faced the English Leicester on December 19 as part of the European Rugby Cup. A week later, seven players from Aviron Bayonnais tested positive. The latter were diagnosed as negative on December 31 before two new cases in the team were detected. It was only this Saturday, January 2 that the Basque club received confirmation that the contaminations did indeed come from the so-called English strain of the virus.

For the president of the Bayonne club, our European neighbors were too lax in the application of their health protocol before coming to play a match on French soil.“They are tested on Monday to play on Saturday, we are tested on Wednesday. We are at D-3, they are at D-6. These three days are very important. They may have to see theirs again. situation and especially their position “, annoys Philippe Tayeb.

In order to avoid the spread of the virus – and even if the final tests carried out were found to be negative on all the players and staff -, the Regional Health Agency (ARS) preferred to take drastic measures: closure until See you again from the Jean Dauger stadium where the players train and isolation of the team and supervisors. The workouts are de facto prohibited until Thursday January 7 inclusive before a new phase of screening.

The Bayonne club has once again “deplored this situation which has already resulted in the postponement of two Top 14 matches” against Castres (December 27) and Pau (January 2) and who “greatly compromises the holding of the match against Toulon” scheduled for January 8, the last two days of the competition scheduled for January 15 and 22, but also “the continuation of his sporting season.“

The most optimistic scenario would suggest a resumption of the Basque club’s competition on the weekend of January 30, at the reception of Agen.