Covid, isolating and our European jeopardy

A St Mirren player tested positive for Covid and now a Hamilton player is self-isolating after ”coming into close contact with a player from another club who has tested positive”, presumably the unnamed St Mirren player.  Due to their age, footballers are largely immune to the worst dangers of Coronavirus, but you can see where the jeopardy lies for clubs.

If St Mirren are able to stop the disease spreading to the rest of the squad it is a testament to their safety procedures, but it is likely many others at the club were in close proximity to the player during the incubation period.

This is going to be a feature of the season; players will be required to isolate, some fixtures will be postponed.  In Europe, it will be different.  Our Europa League qualifier two weeks from today cannot be postponed by more than a couple of days.  The final qualifier is three weeks today, between now and then every precaution must be taken to limit exposure for the players and backroom staff.

With pubs open for business to show Saturday’s Ross County – Celtic game, the need to run tests to learn what is achievable has never been greater.  Cancelling controlled tests with no more than 300 spectators, where every piece of medical and scientific evidence assures us would all be entirely safe, would be classic bad government.  We need to test practically every aspect of society for its health implications.