Hong Kong Premier League on track to resume after players cleared in two tests for Covid-19
- The six remaining teams in the depleted competition face one more round of testing before the proposed kick-off on September 19
- A team need at least 13 players to start a match if the squad is hit by an infection
The Hong Kong Football Association has taken a step closer to resuming the season after completing the second round of Covid-19 testing for players.
One more test will take place next week before the schedule of play starts on September 19 for the six teams that will complete the delayed competition.
None of the players has tested positive, but even if positive cases are identified, the Premier League can still go ahead providing the affected team can field a sufficient number of players for a match.
“If any player is found to be positive, he will be sent to hospital for treatment, while his close contacts will also need quarantined as required by the Health Department,” said Dr Patrick Yung Shu-hang, medical adviser to the association. “Those close contacts will be decided by the department and if a team can still assemble 13 players after missing several due to a case, it’s still possible for them to start a match according to the rules.”
All six teams have appointed hygiene officers to monitor the situation as the players are now required to undergo “home quarantine” since team training began last week. Players also have to measure their temperatures on a daily basis and report to the officer.
