The English top-flight won’t put a temporary hold on the 2021/22 campaign despite the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
The Premier League has announced it has no plans to postpone the upcoming festive fixtures.
All 20 clubs from the English top-flight met on Monday to discuss the coronavirus outbreak, as the rising number of positive cases forced six games at the weekend to be postponed.
Tests results from last week alone returned 90 positive cases from players and club staff.
The Premier League has confirmed that between Monday December 13 and Sunday December 19, a record 12,345 COVID-19 tests were administered on players and club staff. Of these, there were 90 new positive cases.
— Alasdair Gold (@AlasdairGold) December 20, 2021
However, while the option to put a temporary halt to games had been a possibility, the Premier League insists it won’t cancel any further fixtures unless absolutely necessary.
“It was confirmed at a Premier League club meeting today that while recognizing a number of clubs are experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks and challenges, it is the League’s collective intention to continue the current fixture schedule where safely possible,” read a statement on Monday.
“The health and wellbeing of all concerned remain our priority and the League will continue to monitor and reflect public health guidance, always proceeding with caution.”
The Premier League also announced that 84% of players have had at least one COVID-19 vaccination. By including staff in the analysis, the overall figure for clubs rises up to 92%.
Premier League Christmas Fixtures
Below is the upcoming list of fixtures set to begin on Boxing Day in the English league.