The Premier League confirmed on Tuesday that 18 players and staff have tested positive for coronavirus, the highest number since weekly testing began.
“The Premier League can today confirm that between Monday 21 December and Sunday 27 December, 1,479 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19,” the league said in a statement. “Of these, there were 18 new positive tests. Players or club staff who have tested positive will self-isolate for a period of 10 days.”
That figure surpassed the previous highest figure recorded of 16 for November 9-15.
All remaining seven Premier League games on Tuesday and Wednesday are still set to go ahead.
City had already announced on Christmas Day there had been four positive tests at the club for players Kyle Walker and Gabriel Jesus and two staff members prior to the latest positive cases on Monday.
The club’s training ground has been closed for an “indeterminate period” with further testing on players and staff to take place before it can reopen. City are due to face Chelsea away in the Premier League on Sunday and Manchester United in the League Cup semi-finals on January 6.
The Everton-City postponement was just the second time that a Premier League game has been called off due to Covid-19 since the 2019/20 season resumed in June. Aston Villa’s clash with Newcastle earlier this month was postponed due to an outbreak at Newcastle’s training ground.
The number of positive tests recorded over a 24-hour period in England and Wales hit new high of 41,385 Monday, according to UK government figures.
