There are genuine concerns the 2020-21 Serie A season could be delayed after numerous clubs found players and staff positive for COVID-19.
The campaign is due to kick off on September 19, so pre-season training has either already begun or is ramping up over the next few days.
This means, as per protocol, that all players and staff are receiving blanket blood and swab tests to identify the presence of the Coronavirus.
There are genuine concerns the 2020-21 Serie A season could be delayed after numerous clubs found players and staff positive for COVID-19.
The campaign is due to kick off on September 19, so pre-season training has either already begun or is ramping up over the next few days.
This means, as per protocol, that all players and staff are receiving blanket blood and swab tests to identify the presence of the Coronavirus.
With lockdown measures easing, players going on vacation and therefore being out of the ‘bubble’ created for them following the Serie A restart in June, there were bound to be more positive cases springing up.
However, the extent of the spread has been surprising, with cases registered at Roma, Napoli, Sassuolo, Torino, Benevento, Cagliari, Fiorentina and recently-relegated SPAL and Brescia.
Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, who is in a high-risk group after battling leukaemia last year, has also tested positive.
On August 22, for the first time since May 12, there were over 1,000 new positive cases registered.
The positive news from that surge is that it seems to be a weakened virus, because there were only five new admissions to hospital (total 924), five left intensive care (total 64), and there were three deaths.
Since the pandemic began in Italy on February 20, there have been 35,430 deaths, with 258,136 positive cases.
There are currently 17,503 positive cases in the Peninsula, an increase of 825 over 24 hours.
All the positive cases so far in Serie A and B have also been asymptomatic, meaning they are carrying the virus, but not suffering any ill-effects for the moment.
This may well also be why the virus is spreading again so rapidly, as many are carriers without realising it.