Hull City confirm that two individuals have tested positive for Covid-19

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HULL CITY have confirmed that two individuals have tested positive for coronavirus.

A total of 1,014 players and staff from all 24 second-tier clubs were tested over the past 72 hours and Hull having confirmed in a statement that two people have tested positive in a club statement.

It read: "Hull City can confirm that two people have tested positive for Covid-19 following the first round of testing at the training ground.

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"Medical confidentiality means the names will not be disclosed, and the Club asks for this to be respected.

"The duo, who are both asymptomatic and feeling no ill effects, will now self-isolate for seven days – in line with the protocols set out in EFL guidelines – before being tested again at a later date.

"The club will continue to liaise closely with the affected personnel and will make no further comment."

Hull had reportedly delayed their own resumption until Thursday at the earliest, with vice-chairman Ehab Allan having emailed EFL chairman Rick Parry late last week to stress that clubs will be left “exposed to entirely unnecessary legal and financial risks" if the season continues.

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Last Tuesday, a leaked letter had revealed that Allam claimed the Championship campaign should be made void.

Hull are hovering just two points and one place above the relegation zone and have not won a league match since New Year's Day.

Allam wrote: “Without any guarantee that all remaining fixtures will be played if the season recommences, Championship clubs are, in effect, being asked to agree to a game of pass the parcel in which they can achieve/miss out on promotion or avoid/suffer relegation, if the music were to stop at an indeterminable/arbitrary point in time.

“I continue to strongly believe that Championship clubs are being exposed to entirely unnecessary legal and financial risks (and forced to overlook the health and safety concerns that exist) as a result of the inappropriate haste with which clubs are being encouraged to return to training by the EFL.

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“I also retain serious concerns about the integrity of the competition (which in my opinion is more than simply upholding promotion and relegation at all costs) should some, but not all, of the remaining games of the 2019/20 season be played.”

Specifically on proposed coronavirus testing protocols, Allam - in correspondence with the EFL - added: “I am extremely concerned that one of the testing options available is for individual players to administer the tests themselves before then providing it to their club.

“This has the potential to fundamentally undermine a testing regime which you have stated is needed to underpin a safe return and, in the event that matches are ever played, expose the players and staff of other Championship clubs (who have adopted a more rigorous approach to testing via club medical personnel or third party agencies) to unnecessary and inappropriate risks.

“It would clearly be inappropriate for players to carry out their own doping-control tests and yet the EFL has approved a process which allows players to test themselves for a virus that has serious/life-threatening consequences.”

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Players at Barnsley, Huddersfield Town, Leeds United, Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday are due to return to small-scale training on Monday.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the EFL said: "The EFL can confirm that 1014 players and club staff from all 24 Championship Clubs have been tested for COVID-19 over the course of the last 72 hours, with two individuals testing positive from one club.

"Those players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate in line with the guidelines provided by the EFL and only those who have tested negative will be permitted to enter training ground facilities.

"The EFL will continue to make regular and relevant announcements as appropriate in respect of the testing programme to support competition integrity and transparency.

"No specific details as to clubs or individuals will be provided by the league."

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