Premier League footballers asked to STOP HUGGING as COVID-19 cases rise in UK

The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) has reminded footballers to embrace a sensible approach while celebrating goals amid the COVID-19 crisis and refrain from hugging or getting too close to each other. The warning comes after COVID-19 cases have continued to spread through clubs at all levels. Four Premier League games and over 50 games across the English Football League have been postponed due to the coronavirus this season, with some FA Cup ties this weekend in doubt of being played.

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Premier League COVID rules: Players advised not to hug while celebrating goals

According to a report in The Times, the PFA has written to all players urging them to follow protocols after a record number of positive COVID-19 cases have threatened to derail the season. Earlier this week, Aston Villa became the latest Premier League club to be affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and the Villans opted to close their training ground after a "significant number" of staff and players tested positive for the deadly bug. Their FA Cup third-round tie against Liverpool later on Friday was also initially in doubt of being played, but it has now been confirmed that the tie will indeed get underway as planned. 

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While speaking to reporters earlier this week, PFA chief Gordon Taylor said, "We’ve sent a message to all our members saying, ‘you have done a great job, you’ve kept the game going and you deserve a lot of credit, but it’s important you keep to the protocols. I understand with the celebration of a goal it’s difficult to just put the ball in the back of the net and act as though nothing has happened. But keeping a safe distance by not hugging teammates is also something that should be reminded to players every now and then".

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This week, a total of forty players and staff tested positive for COVID-19 in the latest round of Premier League testing, double the number of the week before and the highest figure this season. MOTD presenter Gary Lineker took to Twitter and raised fears over the possibility that 'football might succumb in the next few weeks'. Fulham star Kevin McDonald, on Instagram, claimed that PL players are being treated like 'guinea pigs' by allowing games to continue despite the spike in COVID-19 cases. According to Worldometer, there were over 52,000 new cases of COVID-19 reported the UK on Thursday. 

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Image Credits - Man United, Liverpool Instagram