Published 14:46 IST, April 28th 2020
Premier League to spend £4m on 26,000 coronavirus testing kits for season resumption
The Premier League will bear the £4 million cost of purchasing 26,000 coronavirus testing kits in order for the resumption of the English top flight in June.
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The resumption of the Premier League has excited football fans amid the doom and gloom of the coronavirus outbreak. The Premier League return, however, might come at a rather hefty cost. The Premier League is reportedly expected to spend around £4 million for coronavirus testing kits to constantly examine the medical situation of players in the English top flight.
Possible Premier League return amid coronavirus crisis
According to reports in The Mirror, Premier League chiefs have discussed the possibility of a Premier League return as early as June. The likelihood of a Premier League return was considered by the UK Government in order to entertain football fans that continue to remain in lockdown. Although the Premier League return date has not been confirmed, medical chiefs have suggested that players and essential staff should be tested twice a week if the English top flight is to resume anytime soon.
Premier League return: Coronavirus testing kits to cost up to £4 million
In order to ensure the safety of the players and staff, the Premier League will now have to purchase coronavirus testing kits. If the decision for a Premier League return is approved, the coronavirus testing kits will force the hand of the Premier League to spend £4 million in the procurement of the kits. Each coronavirus testing kit is reportedly priced at £150 and Premier League players are set to be tested twice every week.
Coronavirus testing kits: Premier League test players for coronavirus
In a conference call on Saturday with the Premier League shareholders, the medical team decided that each Premier League star will be tested twice a week until the end of the season once the full training sessions resume. Along with the players, certain staff members also must be tested and teams are expected to conduct around 50 tests a week with the cost amounting to £300,000 for 20 clubs. With the hopeful resumption of full training in mid-May and the season possibly concluding by the end of July, the 13-week period of football will require 26,000 testing kits.
Players and essential staff of Premier League clubs are set to be tested for coronavirus twice a week for the rest of the season from when training resumes. £4m could be spent during the 13-week period, with the Premier League paying for all of the testing kits.
— Bolarinwa Olajide (@iambolar) April 28, 2020
Premier League test players: Coronavirus deaths in UK
The Premier League is expected to bear the cost of paying for all the coronavirus testing kits which will rise to £4 million over 13 weeks. According to Worldometer, there have been 21,092 deaths in the UK due to the coronavirus outbreak. It appears to be a bold move to decide the resumption of the Premier League despite 135,713 active cases of coronavirus in the UK.
14:46 IST, April 28th 2020