Scottish Premiership players to undergo daily Covid-19 testing until winter break | Football News

Scottish Premiership clubs must undertake daily Covid-19 testing from Monday after First Minister Nicola Sturgeon expressed “profound concern” over the acceleration of the Omicron variant throughout society.

Scottish football’s Joint Response Group (JRG), which consists of representation from the Scottish FA and SPFL, said players and staff are required to be tested each day until the start of the winter break on January 3.

A decision on whether to continue with daily testing will be made prior to the league’s resumption on January 26.

Further discussions will take place with the Scottish Women’s Premier League, Championship and Leagues 1 and 2 over whether they must also undergo daily tests.

The JRG has also contacted the Scottish Government to offer football stadia as vaccine centres.

SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster said: “The First Minister has today again outlined the reality of the Omicron variant in Scotland and I am pleased with the rapid response of our cinch Premiership clubs in committing to enhanced protocols.

“We will continue to encourage compliance with the Scottish Government public health guidance and play our part in suppressing and eradicating the latest variant of this ongoing pandemic.”

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Rod Petrie, Joint Response Group chair, added: “We need no reminding that we are entering another challenging period in the country’s ongoing battle to suppress and overcome Covid-19 and, in particular, its emerging Omicron variant.

“Scottish football is not immune to the impact of the pandemic and we must be extra vigilant during this especially busy period prior to the winter break.

“We remain in regular dialogue with Scottish Government and their public health and public policy officials and in order to reinforce protection, we have today increased our protocols proportionately with the challenges presented to us.

“We are thankful to our clubs for their commitment to implement them provisionally until the winter break and are happy to support the effort to overcome the virus through the vaccination and booster programmes and stringent adherence to protocols and public health guidance.”